Mid-decade review: Artist of the decade so far

Sharing our shortlist for 'artist of the decade so far' - and the poll for you to decide!

Our mid-decade review rolls on and presents possibly the trickiest category of all: the artist of the decade so far. Having introduced the project a couple of days ago and shared the album longlist yesterday, this category is a goliath.

Our panel arrived at their choices through selecting their nomination from different lenses - some merely acknowledged the impact of the artists, while others simply selected their favourite.

Take a look at the reasoning below and then vote for your favourite in the poll at the bottom of the page!

Phil Taylor - Music Observer blog founder

I'm going to have to go for Taylor Swift... just for the sheer hard work, audacity of the Eras tour, prolific output, and pushing and pretty much redefining boundaries. Although I don't think all of her music hits squarely, she has provided inspiration for so many.

As for who missed out?

Olivia Rodrigo, Holly Humberstone, Sam Fender and Chappell Roan.

Danny Kilmartin - Music journalist

Honestly, for better or worse, on cultural impact and commercial performance alone, I'd have to say Taylor Swift but I could go on and on about how I think she's AI at best and emblematic of late stage capitalism at worst.

Matthew McLister - Freelance writer and creator of indie music website Blinded by the Floodlights

Fontaines D.C. I mean, it was hardly going to be anyone else, was it? The Irish post-punk outfit have simply gotten better from album to album, maturing and developing their sound in the process. They've absolutely dominated the indie-rock scene since their debut and made guitar music both accessible and exciting once again.

Adam Reeve - Dead Good Music Editor

Charli XCX. Back on the BRAT train, I'd say it'd be hard to find anyone as deserving of this as Charli XCX. Her career always circled the edges of the mainstream, but was adored by fans, breaking through occasionally with the odd hit, before falling fully into it with BRAT. It felt like a culmination of years of grafting and evolving, that it was just nice to see. It was also great to witness this period of fame come at a time that Charli opted to return back to her sound, and put out what she wanted, rather than what her label wanted. Hell yeah.

Andrew Belt - 5-9 editor

Releasing not just one, but two classic albums in the 2020s so far, Little Simz has cemented herself as one of, if not the, best rapper right now. The vast ambition of Sometimes I Might Be Introverted was followed up by the tighter, vitriolic, cathartic and soulful NO THANK YOU a little over a year later, ensuring Simz's place at the top of the table. Last year's Drop 7 added more excellent tracks to this purple patch, whetting the appetite significantly for the next LP arriving next month.

A shoutout here to Du Blonde too who also released two classic albums in this period but not quite to the same level as Simz, with Laura Marling, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., The Lemon Twigs, SIPHO. and Bob Vylan also featuring highly in my thinking for this category.

Karl Blakesley - LeftLion Music Editor and 5-9 Album of the Month podcaster

While I have a few honourable mentions here – Charli XCX, Little Simz, Fontaines D.C. and The Weeknd all owning the decade as well – I felt like I really needed to shout-out Mancuninan art-rock outfit Everything Everything here, who have probably been my personal Artist of the Decade so far.

With two fantastic recent projects in Raw Data Feel and Mountainhead that both play out like greatest hits records for me at this point, while also serving up some decent moments on 2020’s Re-Animator too, their studio output has been impressively solid. On top of that, I’ve managed to see them a whopping eight times in the last three years, including some memorable festival performances and dazzling headline shows, where they just seem to get better and better each time I see them.

Therefore, I think given the amount I’ve played their albums and the multiple times I’ve seen them perform in the last few years, no artist has become synonymous with the 2020s for me quite like Everything Everything.

Kevin Alexander - Indie music writer

Looking at my lists, many 'old' bands have endured and put out some of their best music yet. The best songs let you escape for a few minutes. The best songwriters can tell a whole story in only a few sentences. They twist and bend words to their will.

After growing up on the West Coast, I now live in the Midwest. I've always felt a bit like a tourist waiting for his visa to run out. Even now, after almost 20 years, I still feel like a stranger in a strange land.

Perhaps more than anything else, Wussy have helped me understand what it means to live here. A part of the world where big cities like Minneapolis and Milwaukee collide with places where having a pickup means having to answer fewer questions, and there's no problem that can't be solved over a couple of cold drinks on a front porch.

---

So, who is your artist of the decade from our shortlist of six? Vote below! Deadline for votes is 7pm on Saturday, 7 June.

Who is the artist of the decade so far?

• Charli XCX
• Everything Everything
• Fontaines D.C.
• Little Simz

See All Options