6 New Faves Making Waves In Film, TV, Music, & More!

Lately, as we’ve been diving into a wide range of TV, music, and art, we’ve noticed ourselves gravitating toward a few favorites – artists we can’t stop watching, listening to, or following. We're most captivated by those who can sit with the messy, imperfect, and fragile parts of being human, channeling them into creative work that feels raw, honest, and deeply resonant. These are the current standout artists making waves right now!

1. Lukita Maxwell — Actor ("Shrinking", "Generation") 

Lukita Maxwell is quietly emerging as one of the most honest and grounded voices for Gen-Z on screen. What makes her especially compelling is her ability to possess a complexity marked by strength, softness, and longing. 

2. Hope Tala — Singer ("Lovestained", "Cherries")

What makes Tala stand out is how she balances vulnerability with confidence. With her quiet, breathy vocals – at once tender and potent – she reflects, pauses, and leans into life’s uncertainties, embodying a type of authenticity that feels profoundly healing. 

3. Adrian Tomine — Writer/Director/Graphic Novelist (Killing and Dying, Shortcomings)

Tomine is an artist that finds poetry in the ordinary. His storytelling often hovers somewhere between fiction and self-portrait, leaning into the uncomfortable moments, internal doubts, and humanity behind every character.

4. Sombr — Singer ("back to friends", "undressed")

Sombr has a rare gift for turning heartbreak into catharsis, crafting songs that feel raw and unfiltered. He captivates through his embrace of the fraught, awkward, and painful parts of love and longing. 

5. Dana Davenport — Interdisciplinary Artist ("One Hundred Days") 

Davenport’s work explores interminority conflict and imagines collective Black and Asian futurity through installation, sculpture, video, and performance. She’s an artist to watch for transforming personal and cultural narratives into bold, thought-provoking installations. 

6. Joe List — Comedian/Writer/Actor ("I Hate Myself", "Enough for Everybody")

List has become one of stand-up’s most relatable voices, blending self-deprecating humor with razor-sharp observations about adulthood, anxiety, and the small absurdities of everyday life. Through his material, he turns personal neuroses into a collective catharsis. 

Whether rising stars or established creatives, these artists are shaping culture and restoring humanity in ways that deserve attention – definitely worth keeping on your radar.