In an age of social media, if you can dominate the trends, then you can dominate the industry. Singer-songwriter and producer Artemas first jumped into the industry after his hit single “i like the way you kiss me” started a trend on TikTok in 2024 and amassed over one billion streams on Spotify.
Prior to this chart-topper, he also had been making waves with his single “if u think i’m pretty”, although “i like the way you kiss me” had really placed him on a global stage. By the time the 2024 hit came out, it secured the No. 1 spot of the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and the No. 3 place of the UK Singles chart, as well as eventually reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Artemas’ music is a combination of many different genres, namely alternative pop, electronic music, modern R&B and dark wave. This eclectic sound is fairly new to the music industry and unique from any other sound waves out there, causing his work to make quite a splash.
Artemas honestly hasn’t been on the music scene for that long – he began self-releasing in 2020 and actually taught himself how to produce and blend music. His inspiration for creating music was sparked when he was 16, after watching a documentary about Kurt Cobain (lead singer of Nirvana). His massive success in 2024 moved him from producing music in his bedroom to performing at Coachella 2025.
With tinges of grunge and 2000s pop, Artemas’ music captures your attention and holds it to the end of the song. Heavy bass and sound effects creates an almost-atmospheric listening experience. Even if you’re not into this darker twist on pop, I would still recommend listening to Artemas because his work is really cool. He has released one full album – I’m Sorry I’m Like This (2022) – as well as several mixtapes. His songs discuss dark, moody themes through surprising upbeat tempos; harnessing elements of pop without the peppy message.
My Top Ten:
- “how could u love somebody like me?”
- “if u think i’m pretty”
- “southbound”
- “cross my heart”
- “i like the way you kiss me”
- “i always kinda knew you’d be the death of me”
- “just want you to feel something”
- “dirty little secret”
- “my babydoll”
- “in my arms”
For fans of Rex Orange County, Addison Rae, and Charli xcx.
