Expect Big Things In 2026 From The WMG Artist’s Behind 2025’s Biggest New Releases
Written by b87fm on 12/23/2025
The end of the year means a chance to look back and then plot a course into the future — which is what we did as a part of our year-end YouTube audience report. This series is spread across four articles examining the top performing Warner Music artists (a roster that UPROXX Studios represents exclusively) and their music videos on YouTube. The chart below shows the videos that most resonated with both global and US audiences, showcasing the talents of some of the worlds biggest stars. These names are safe bets going into the new year for brands looking to buy into consistent music culture movers.
Let’s take a look at a few of these artists and their success stories to find out why.
Long-beloved mainstay Ed Sheeran had a superlative year with his “Sapphire” video leading the Warner Music Group year-end global charts, proving he still has plenty of staying power this far into his illustrious career. Besides the release of his new album, Play, Sheeran also dropped his One Shot special on Netflix, showing him playing and hanging out with people all through New York City.
Up-and-comers are making waves, too. Keep an eye on Alex Warren (#2 on the global chart and #1 on the US chart), Jisoo (#3 & #5 on the global chart), and sombr (#4 on the global chart), whose goings-on increasingly sway the tide of the industry at large. The calendar may foreshadow further buzz surrounding those three. In Q1 of 2026, Blackpink’s world tour comes to an end, which could pave the way for Jisoo to drop new music. At the Super Bowl, all eyes will be on Warren, who is set to be part of the pre-game festivities. Lastly, there’s the Grammys, which will expose sombr (and Warren) to an even bigger audience thanks to their Best New Artist nominations.
Warren also enjoyed some crossover success, drawing eyeballs on TikTok and on Netflix’s Love Island, driving growth to his YouTube channel and to his status as a music personality outside of his releases. Speaking of crossovers, beloved multi-hyphenate Jack Black had a viral hit with his bite-sized Minecraft movie song “Steve’s Lava Chicken.” On the soundtrack front, Charli XCX’s music for Wuthering Heights is something to keep an eye on in 2026.
Another artist to bet on in 2026 is Kehlani. She’s already a beloved veteran in her space, but she had a major mainstream breakthrough this year with “Folded,” her first top-10 single. She also joined the narrative of Cardi B’s massive comeback album Am I The Drama? with a feature on “Safe.” With more exposure than ever and proven abilities, it wouldn’t be surprising to see her further her ascent in the new year.
Check out the year-end rankings below.
