13 Best 2020s Singers, All Popular Music Artists

The 2020s are officially underway, and while we don’t know how it will all turn out, one thing we do know is who’s been making a splash and topping the charts.

In this guide, we look at the best 2020 singers, an array of popular music artists whose names you’re bound to know.

This list kicks off with…

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift shot to the top of the charts in 2008 and has basically stayed there ever since. Fans say she is the very embodiment of a star, and love to see her perform.

Swift may have left her country and country-pop roots in the dust to explore pop, dance-pop, dubstep, and heartland rock, among other genres, but it has probably done her more good than bad, at least from a career standpoint.

Swift, currently 33, shows no signs of slowing down in the 2020s. Here’s what has happened so far (and it’s not all good):

Due to disputes with her talent manager and record label, in November 2020, Swift began re-recording her back catalog. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Swift released two surprise albums in 2020 – Folklore and Evermore.

These two albums waded into alternative rock and indie folk styles, with less emphasis on production heard in previous pop-oriented releases. Critics praised both albums, which spawned the singles “Betty,” “Cardigan,” “Exile,” “Willow,” “Coney Island,” and “No Body, No Crime.”

Both albums were huge successes, with Folklore becoming the best-selling album in the U.S. and earning Swift several awards.

Her relentless work ethic and domination would continue the following year in 2021. Swift would re-release Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version), both debuting at the top of the charts.

Swift would follow it up with her 10th studio album, Midnights, in October 2022. It became one of her biggest successes to date, which is saying something because everything she’s done to this point hasn’t been too shabby!

And as for Swift, she is still riding high.

The Weeknd

For Canadian singer The Weeknd, the 2020s certainly started on the right foot. Having announced the release of his fourth album, After Hours, The Weeknd would make his third appearance on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest.

After Hours debuted at the top of the charts, becoming his fourth consecutive album to do the same. Having appeared on several prominent tracks, The Weeknd would release his second greatest hits album, The Highlights, in February 2021. He headlined the Super Bowl LV halftime show the same month.

In January 2022, he would follow it up with his fifth studio album, Dawn FM, featuring songs like “Take My Breath,” “Out of Time,” and “Sacrifice.”

2023 would see The Weeknd release a live album, make TV appearances, and announce a series of collaborative EPs that will feature the likes of Future, Madonna, and Playboi Carti.

Ariana Grande

Petite firecracker and superbly skilled songstress Ariana Grande had elevated to teen idol status by 2010. Her true passion was music, though, so once she had fulfilled her theatrical and TV commitments, she began in earnest pursuing a music career, and 2013’s Yours Truly became a big success.

Is Grande just getting started? Well, there’s no way to tell for sure, but the 2020s have proven incredibly prolific for her so far.

One of her first musical successes of the decade was her collaboration track with Justin Bieber, “Stick with U,” which debuted at the top of the charts. Grande would go on to collaborate with Lady Gaga as well, on her second single from Chromatica, “Rain on Me.”

Grande’s first studio album of the decade and sixth overall, Positions would be released in October 2020, and it would debut at the top of the charts. Grande would also appear in the rather controversial and misguided film Don’t Look Up, which broke Netflix records.

Grande would also appear on a remix of The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears,” which reached the top of the charts. The two would perform the song at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards as well. Grande would be featured in another Weeknd song, as well as Doja Cat’s “I Don’t Do Drugs.”

Although we don’t know for sure, we speculate that Grande’s notoriety will only continue to grow.

Harry Styles

First as a member of One Direction, and now as a solo artist, no one can shut up about English singer and actor Harry Styles. Having released his massively successful self-titled debut album in 2017, Styles would follow it up with 2019’s similarly hugely successful Fine Line, which ended up being certified platinum.

In 2021, Styles would be decorated with award after award. His Love On Tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it picked back up in September 2021 in Las Vegas.

2022 would see the release of Styles’ third album, Harry’s House, with its lead single, “As It Was,” debuting at the top of the US and UK charts.

The same year, Styles would headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April. His music would be featured in a new AirPods commercial, and he would release a music video for “Late Night Talking.” He also won several more awards.

If Styles continues on the same trajectory, his popularity will only continue to explode.

Beyoncé

Beyoncé’s greatest contribution to music in the 2010s was undoubtedly 2016’s Lemonade. She found plenty of other ways to keep relevant and in the public eye, though, which has supported her continued success in the 2020s.

In April 2020, Beyoncé would be featured on “Savage,” a remix of Megan Thee Stallion’s song. The song reached the top of the charts. She also released “Black Parade,” a nonprofit charity single.

In June 2022, speculation began growing that Beyoncé would be releasing her next album. Sure enough, she announced her seventh album in June, which was released as Renaissance in July.

The lead single, “Break My Soul,” became her 20th top single. This put Beyoncé in rare company, with Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney being the only other artists ever to achieve this feat.

Her Renaissance World Tour is currently underway, and Beyoncé has performances booked up to October.

Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars paid his dues in the mid to late 2000s by writing and producing hit songs, which he believed was the best way for him to further his career. He was effectively proven right, because those early years proved formative, and his breakthrough opportunity would come in 2010 with Doo-Wops & Hooligans.

In 2020, it was announced that Mars would be working on a music-themed theatrical film for Disney. It was also settled that Mars was working on his next studio release. While in quarantine, Mars would spend every day writing music.

Mars and rapper Anderson .Paak began working together, forming the band Silk Sonic. Silk Sonic would release their debut album, An Evening with Silk Sonic, in November 2021. The album spawned multiple singles, like “Leave the Door Open,” “Smokin out the Window,” and “Skate,” among others.

Silk Sonic would also go on to launch their concert residency, An Evening with Silk Sonic at Park MGM in early 2022.

Mars is evidently working on his fourth solo album, which will no doubt be announced within the year. Reportedly, it features a new sound.

Lady Gaga

Having launched The Fame in 2008, Lady Gaga was sitting pretty and well poised for the 2010s, in which she continued her bizarre Halloween antics until the release of 2016’s Joanne when she adopted more of a singer-songwriter esthetic.

By that point, everyone knew that she could pull it off, though, even if it caught Little Monsters off guard.

In May 2020, Gaga would release her sixth album, Chromatica at the top of the US charts. The two singles that were released in advance of the album, “Stupid Love,” and “Rain on Me,” played right into the success of the album.

Gaga would go on to sing at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, partner up with champagne brand Dom Pérignon, release her second collaborative album with Tony Bennett, appear on Friends: The Reunion, co-write “Hold My Hand” for the 2022 film, Top Gun: Maverick, and more.

Gaga is slated to appear alongside Joaquin Phoenix in Joker: Folie à Deux in 2024.

Charlie Puth

Charlie Puth started his music career in 2009 as you might expect a Millennial to – he started a YouTube channel, of course! With a mix of comedic videos and acoustic covers, he would release his first EP within a year, and win a Perez Hilton-sponsored online video competition in 2011.

Ellen DeGeneres signed Puth to her label, also in 2011, and Puth would continue to write and release music. He would sign with APG / Atlantic in 2015. His debut single, “Marvin Gaye,” featured Meghan Trainor, and it went double platinum in Australia.

In 2020, Puth would scrap what was to become his third album. In 2021, however, he would release “Girlfriend,” “Hard on Yourself” featuring Blackbear, and “After All” with Elton John.

In 2022, “Light Switch” would be released as the lead single from his third studio album, Charlie, which ultimately came out in October of the same year, with a music video for “Loser.”

Puth has been pulling his weight since 2009, and he’s also had about seven years in the limelight. It will be interesting to watch what he gets up to next.

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez had a recurring role in the Disney Channel hit Hannah Montana in 2007. She would go on to land the lead role in Wizards of Waverly Place, which ended up propelling her into the mainstream.

A string of Selena Gomez & The Scene Albums would emerge in the late 2000s and early 2011s, but Gomez would ultimately make the full transition to solo artist in 2013 with Stars Dance, which she followed up with Revival in 2015.

Gomez would start the new decade with a bang. Her third studio album, Rare, would be released in January 2020 debuting at the top of the charts. Gomez would also go on to voice a giraffe in the adventure film Dolittle the same month.

Her first Spanish language project, Revelación, would be released in March 2021. It had the biggest sales week for a Latin album since the release of Shakira’s El Dorado in 2017.

Gomez would also star in and become the executive producer of Only Murders in the Building, the Hulu mystery-comedy series, and was also the voice of Mavis, and again executive producer of Hotel Transylvania: Transformania in 2022.

There was also a Gomez documentary film, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me in November 2022. She also teased new music to be released in 2023 and is slated to appear in several more films.

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran would begin this decade on hiatus due to the birth of his first child. But in late December of 2020, he would release a surprise single, “Afterglow.” This set the stage for the lead single from = (Equals), “Bad Habits,” which was released in June 2021, becoming a big hit.

His album would be released later that year in October. In November, Sheeran would also release a duet with Elton John, “Merry Christmas,” for charity.

In February 2022, Sheeran would release a duet with Taylor Swift, “The Joker and the Queen.” He would go on to collaborate with Camila Cabello and J Balvin as well. In March, Sheeran would kick off his +-=÷x Tour (Mathematics Tour).

In September, Sheeran would release “Celestial,” and his single from =, “Shivers,” became his 11th song to get a billion streams on Spotify in November.

In March 2023, Sheeran announced the release of – (“Subtract”), which was released in May. And this probably won’t be the last time you’ll hear about – (“Subtract”).

Katy Perry

Katy Perry’s single, “Never Worn White” was released in March 2020. Shortly after, she announced that she was pregnant and expecting her first child. In May 2020, the lead single from Smile, “Daisies,” would be released. The album arrived in August of the same year.

Perry would follow up the release with multiple EPs and a single, “Not the End of the World.”

In January 2021, Perry would perform “Firework” at the inauguration of President Joe Biden. She started a concert residency at Resorts World Las Vegas in December of the same year. In Perry’s own words, it’s the campiest show she’s ever devised. The residency is set to conclude in November 2023.

While it’s unknown when we can expect Perry’s next studio album, there is no doubt that she has been keeping busy, as she fulfills her Las Vegas residency.

Shakira

Not that ageless Colombian singer Shakira has anything to prove at this point. But her 2020s would open with a proverbial bang, performing with Jennifer Lopez at the Super Bowl LIV halftime show, which was viewed by 103 million people, and on YouTube, it quickly rose to become the most-viewed halftime show.

In January 2021, Shakira sold her catalog to Hipgnosis Songs Fund. In July, she released “Don’t Wait Up,” and in April 2022, she would follow it up with “Te Felicito.” In May, she confirmed that she was done working on her new electronic-imbued album, which so far as we know, has yet to be released.

She did, however, release a collaboration with DJ Bizarrap, “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” in January 2023.

Michael Bublé

Michael Bublé would win Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2004, and he’s kind of like the modern-day Sinatra, Martin, and Bennett rolled into one. He’s been a Canadian Christmas staple for quite a while now, and the 2000s would prove especially prolific for him.

Throughout the 2010s, he would submit an additional four studio albums – Christmas, To Be Loved, Nobody but Me, and Love.

Bublé would announce his ninth studio album, Higher, in January 2022. The album would see a release in March. “I’ll Never Not Love You” and the eponymous “Higher” would be released as singles supporting the album.

At the 2023 Grammy Awards, the album won Best Traditional Pop Album. Included in the album is an arrangement of Beatle Paul McCartney’s ballad, “My Valentine,” and McCartney himself produced it.

You can also find Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me” as well as “Crazy,” a collaboration with the legendary Willie Nelson.

Thanks to his prolific release and performance schedule and tie-in with PepsiCo’s Bubly sparkling water, I don’t think it would be too much of an exaggeration to say that Bublé is a cultural icon – at least on a national level.

Top 2020s Singers, Final Thoughts

Who is your favorite singer of the 2020s so far? Who do you think will rise through the ranks to become the next top singer? If nothing else, it should be exciting to watch!