By Soriba

A profile on a bumbling bunch of black musicians who are paving way for a resurgence in British music domination and ingenuity.

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In the 1960’s, Great Britain saw an influx of musical acts create a burgeoning music scene popular amongst British youth. Inspired by the popularity of rock & roll and blues musicians like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino, these new UK bands would blend popular American music with their own British styles to create new genres like the movement in Liverpool known as Merseybeat or Beat Boom. Liverpool, aside from their Champions League winning football club, was the epicenter of this music scene that would later be called “The British Invasion”, an aptly named tongue-in-cheek reference to previous British excursions across the Atlantic Ocean. Bands like The Rolling Stones, Bee Gees, and notoriously The Beatles, would go on to dominate US charts in unprecedented levels and have a heavy influence on the counterculture movement on both sides of the Atlantic. Also helping popularize the “mod” aesthetic of the late 50’s and early 60’s, the British Invasion showed the UK’s ability to not just compete but dominate their US counterparts, and inspire a generation of UK artists that followed.

Following the likes of Adele, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and One Direction, the Brits showed that the original “British Invasion” was no fluke. Each respectively enjoyed incredible commercial and critical success, continuing a trend set by their forefathers and elevating it in the 21st century. This piece would be null and void if I failed to mention the incredible impact artists like Amy Winehouse and David Bowie also had before their untimely deaths. Quietly bumbling under the surface however, was the quiet force of UK Grime & UK Drill, which were pioneered by artists like Dizzee Rascal, Skepta, and Stormzy and elevated by its most notable face today in Central Cee. On the other side of the coin, J Hus pioneered “afroswing” a blend of afrobeats, RnB, and grime, while Santan Dave and Little Simz showed the UK’s lyrical prowess and ability to crossover over into different markets. The blood, sweat, and tears of all the aforementioned artists made space for a new generation of artists today who are the most versatile and genre-bending influx of talent the UK has seen in recent years. And most notable to me, they all mostly come from African/Caribbean heritage which is special to me, because as an African myself I see the influence we have on music but rarely feel as though we get the commercial recognition we deserve.

Some of the following acts have already made noise in the industry, while others I think are just immensely talented and with the right eyes and support can really make a name for themselves moving forward. These acts cover a variety of genres from Pop to Cloud Rap to Soul, however they all meet where genres fall and just plain ole good music is put on a pedestal. 

Without further ado, here are my entries for the next wave of The Black British Invasion.

Olivia Dean

Origins: Hailing from London, England, the singer-songwriter was born to an English father and Jamaican-Guyanese mother. Her middle name is “Lauryn”, which is a homage to the legendary American musician Lauryn Hill. Growing up, Dean showed an early interest in music and participated in gospel choir. At the age of 15, Dean would get accepted to the BRIT School, a performance & creative arts school in Croydon, England. Dean would commute three hours everyday to attend, and it was there where Dean would hone her songwriting and later teach herself how to play the guitar and piano.

Come Up: After initially being a backup vocalist for British band Rudimental, Dean released her first single, “Reason to Stay” in 2018. After years of hard work highlighted by 2 EP’s and her debut album “Messy”, Dean would get her breakthrough when she released her second album ,“The Art of Loving”, on September 26, 2025. Tracks like “A Couple Minutes”, “Lady Lady”, and “Man I Need” would go on to be hits with the latter topping UK charts and reaching Top 10 on the Billboard Global 200.

Today: Since the success of Dean’s latest album, she would go on to perform on Saturday Night Live and has received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and four MOBO nominations for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female Act, and Best Rnb/Soul Act. Having already received both commercial success and critical acclaim, Olivia Dean is perfectly situated to have a BIG year in 2026. I 100% expect her to roll off this momentum and not only build off her initial success but induct herself as a premier act worldwide competing with the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and Taylor Swift. Look for Olivia Lauryn Dean in 2026, cause she’s coming!

Songs to check out: A Couple Minutes, Baby Steps, Lady Lady

Odeal

Origins: Born in Germany to Igbo Nigerian parents, Odeal’s early life was spent travelling between Europe and the motherland. When he was six, his family settled in the UK, and from an early age, Odeal showed a passion for singing. Odeal’s mother saw his interest in music, so she gifted him a toy microphone when he was just a child. Odeal would move back to Nigeria to live with his father and attended a boarding school at the age of fourteen, and it was there he began spending time in a local recording studio and crafting his earliest songs while dabbling in music production through FL Studio. Odeal would begin his career by releasing covers of popular songs on YouTube.

Come Up: In 2017, Odeal partnered with the American record label and management company LOVE RENAISSANCE (stylized as LVRN) to release his first EP titled “New Time”. Later that same year, he would go on to establish OVMBR, his own record label and music collective. Over the next few years, Odeal would independently & on occasion partner with Warner Music UK to release multiple EP’s and singles. 2024 would prove to be a big year for Odeal as he saw first major hit record with the track “Soh Soh” off his EP Sunday at Zuri’s. “Soh Soh” would go on to reach #3 on the UK Afrobeats charts and #12 on the US Afrobeat Chart. Odeal would go on to sign with LVRN and release the single “You’re Stuck” with labelmate Summer Walker, which peaked at #2 on the UK Afrobeats chart.

Today: In 2025, Odeal won 2 MOBO Awards for Best Newcomer and Best RnB/Soul Act. He was also recognized at the BET RnB/HipHop Power Player Awards as African Rookie of the Year. He would go on to release two more EP’s in 2025 titled “The Summer That Saved Me” and “The Fall That Saved Us”, as well as being featured on Wale’s critically acclaimed album “Everything is a lot”, with the two collaborating on the track “City on Fire”, which is one of my favorites off the album. Having already received industry co-signs, showing a solid proof of concept, and signed to a prominent record label with a good track record of developing talent, Odeal is well positioned to be even more prolific in 2026. With his distinctive voice, ear for harmonies and subtle crooning, he looks to be more than capable of filling the space open for male RnB acts while bringing a fresh spin on the genre with his roots in afrobeats. His song “Showbiz” was one of my favorite songs last year and I believe he has a lot more left in the tank and will establish himself as a top act with the right opportunities and same vigor that got him this far.

Songs to check out: Showbiz, My Heart, City on Fire (With Wale)

Elmiene

Origins: The German-born and Oxford-bred singer-songwriter Elmiene didn’t grow up in a very musical household but was exposed to music from the likes of Silk, Blackstreet, & T-Pain by his older cousins. Young Elmiene was enamored by the sounds he was privy to, and that passion would lead him to find his own voice. When Elmiene was in middle school, his music teacher assigned his class a group project where they had to perform a song, being the only black kid and sporting an afro, he de facto was picked as the lead. His group did a rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”, and when his teacher shared the video of the performance, Elmiene turned into a campus celebrity. His boyish croons combined with his natural feel for melody amazed his classmates who would request him to perform for them. The discovery of his talent was an early indicator of his immense potential.

Come Up: When Elmiene was 19, his roommate Ila began recording her own versions of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts. Elmiene and Ila would record multiple covers of popular songs, but it was Elmiene’s rendition of D’Angelo’s hit song “How Does it Feel?” that proved to be his breakout moment. The clip went viral and lit a fire under Elmiene to put his all into music. In 2021, Elmiene would eventually take his talents to London, where after barely scraping by with allowances from his mom, he found a chance encounter with an associate of Virgil Abloh named Benji. The precocious singer played a demo for Benji, who would later send the song to Virgil himself, who loved it so much he wanted to use it in his Louis Vuitton Miami show later that year. Unfortunately, Virgil would pass away 2 weeks later, but the demo “Golden”, which was originally written for Elmiene’s grandmother, would go on to still be used in the LV show.

Today: Building off this mounting momentum, Elmiene would go on to release multiple EP’s and his latest mixtape released in 2025 Heat the Streets would receive warm receptions with the standout track “Useless (Without You)”, boasting over 2 million listens just on Youtube and even scoring a remix with Grammy Award-winning singer Muni Long. With his debut album Sounds for Someone set to release later this year, the sky is the limit for the young man with a golden voice.

Songs to check out: Useless (Without You), Crystal Tears, Reclusive

Jim Legxacy

Origins: Born and raised in the London borough Lewisham, Jim Legxacy is of Nigerian descent. Though initially enjoying the innocence of childhood, he still dealt with poverty, inner-city violence, and unfortunately lost one of his childhood best friends to England’s predatory prison system. Legxacy experienced a period of his life where he was homeless and had to fend for himself after his father got into some legal troubles. However, this didn’t break Jim down, but rather strengthened his resolve as he worked diligently on his craft.

Come Up: Jim began releasing music in 2018 dropping 3 EP’s between 2019-2021. However in 2021, things picked up when Jim began posting his songs on TikTok. This would prove to be a wise decision as “eye tell (!)” and “candy reign (!)” would go viral following the release of his 2023 debut mixtape “homeless n*gga pop music”. Legxacy would continue releasing music and collaborating with other artists, namely co-writing and co-producing “Sprinter” by Central Cee and Dave and featuring on “ten” with Fred again.. and Jozzy later that year. Unfortunately, tragedy would strike when Jim lost his younger sister to sickle cell anemia. Legxacy dedicated the track “nothings changed (!)” in her memory (RIP ATINUKE OLALOYE) and continued building off his momentum with live shows, and the eventual release of his second mixtape “black british music (2025)” under XL Recordings and led by singles “father” and “stick”.

Today: Coming off a big year in 2025, Jim Legxacy boasts support and co-signs from artists like Dave, Stormzy, Skepta, and Central Cee. The wonderkid from Lewisham has the eyes of the whole world on him, waiting for his next move, and with his talent, unique sound, and purpose, the sky is truly the limit.

Songs to check out: father, stick, ’06 wayne rooney

dexter in the newsagent

Origins: Dexter was raised in South London by Nigerian parents. Growing up, she initially wanted to be an actor and even took drama classes. However, as she got older and reached her teen years, her interests began to shift as became entrenched in graffiti and American skateboard culture, which defined her early style and gave the South London starlet a taste of a new world. Drawing inspiration from her surroundings, Dexter took a keen interest in architecture and began taking photos of the environment around her, which proved to be fertile ground for her future creative endeavors. In 2020, during the pandemic, Dexter released her first song and used one of those aforementioned pictures from her architecture phase as the cover art.

Come Up: Dexter’s earliest music inspirations were Disney movie soundtracks like Let it Shine, but she also pulled from Justin Bieber’s album “Believe” and stated that artist Beabadoobe was her catalyst and biggest reason for releasing music. Following the release of her first song, the Yoruba princess would go on to release multiple singles and an EP between 2021-2024. Dexter’s sound is composed of a lot of emotional ballads over acoustic and sometimes minimal production. However, her debut mixtape “Time Flies” released in 2025 showcased her versatility in production along with touching lyrics which encompassed grief from her father’s passing, love lost, and coming of age tales.

Today: Although she already has a few notches under her belt from opening for Blood Orange and friend Jim Legxacy and receiving positive acclaim from publications like Pitchfork, 23 year old Dexter still is in the infancy of her career and is poised to fully breakout in 2026. She is personally one of my favorites on this list and I look forward to her incoming success.

Songs to check out: Special, With U, Care

Debbie

Origins: Raised in South London, Debbie is of Nigerian and Ghanaian descent. Growing up, Debbie’s earliest exposure to music was participating in her church’s choir, where her father was the reverend. The skills she learned from singing gospel shaped her harmonies and melodies in her own songs. Debbie was not allowed to listen to secular music as a child, so much of her early years were spent listening to gospel music but as she got older she remembers the first secular song she heard was a cover of “Uptown Girl” by Westlife.

Come Up: When Debbie reached university she decided to study finance and shied away from music, believing her dream was too far-fetched. However, the creative in her proved too loud, driving her to scratch her itch by enrolling in a music technology class. Debbie would later find herself going to any and every open mic night she could find near campus until she met he manager on the platform Girl Gang and signed to 0207 Def Jam – a label whose roster consists of UK legends Stormzy and Potter Payper.

Today: After signing with a major label, Debbie would go on to release her debut single “Is This Real Love”, a clever interpolation of the J Hus track “Did You See”. The song would find success on TikTok and introduce Debbie to the world. She would go on to receive writing credits for her work with Stormzy, open for John Legend, and even work with Lucky Daye and Mahalia. Now freshly independent, Debbie has the creative freedom to move 100% of her own accord, and I believe she’ll pick up where she left off.

Songs to check out: Is This Real Love?, Cherry Wine, Midnight Calls

Fimiguerrero

Origins: Born in Nigeria, Fimiguerrero migrated to London when he was just a few months old with his mother and older brother. His earliest exposure to music was his mother’s collection of Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Fuji music (a traditional Yoruba genre). As he got older he would tune into SB.TV freestyles – a platform started by the late great Jamal Edwards, which helped amplify and showcase UK Grime/Hip Hop artists. The young rapper was inspired by the sounds he heard and led him to begin freestyling in the park with mates then eventually record music.

Come Up: Fimiguerrero went to uni to study Fashion Marketing before deciding to drop out and pursue music. Fimiguerro found himself sleeping on couches and studio’s across Europe, writing and recording music until he eventually released his first single “RUBBERBANDS”. Fimiguerrero would continue to release music at an impressive caliber, but everything escalated when he began collaborating with UK underground pioneer Lancey Foux.

Today: Fimiguerrero continued dropping music at a prolific rate, with each release building off the last and showcasing his versatility and outside-the-box approach to music. His latest project was the 2024 collaborative affair with Lancey Foux and Len “CONGLOMERATE”, showing that Fimiguerro’s initial success was no fluke and he was here to stay. Although it’s been over a year since his last full project, Fimiguerrero hasn’t slowed down at all, dropping single after single — each unlocking a new world of sounds. With the rise of the UK Underground scene and his collaborations with fellow stars like EsDeeKid, Fimiguerrero has the world at his fingertips.

Songs to check out: Vogue, Mandy, Yesterday

Natanya

Origins: Multi-dimensional artist Natanya was born in North London to a Trinidadian mother and Nigerian father. The singer-songwriter began taking classical piano lessons at the precocious age of 4 and later switched to jazz as a teenager, which aided in crafting her style and ear for music. Growing up, Natanya was surrounded by music, with her father being obsessed with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson & Motown. Although never having taken singing lessons, Natanya boasts perfect pitch, which according to her was both a gift from birth and countless hours spent copying her favorite vocalists.

Come Up: Natanya was inspired to start making her own music after hearing Frank Ocean’s Blonde. However, her biggest push towards music was when an older jazz pianist introduced her to the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy (JJJA), where after begging her father to let her audition, she attended. It was at JJJA that Natanya would begin fiddling with Logic Pro and learning how to craft songs. Natanya released her first song “Sunset Melody” in 2019, then followed it up with “Blue Jay”.

Today: Taking a brief hiatus after her first couple songs, Natanya would return with “Like U” in 2021 and then “Foolish” in 2022. The latter would blow up — racking up over a million plays on Spotify — and catching the eyes of UK girl group FLO, who would have Natanya open up for them in 2023. Later that year, she released her first EP “Sorrow At Sunrise”, which displayed her diverse palette and soft but powerful voice. Natanya would continue releasing singles, with all her hard work culminating in her magnum opus EP “Feline’s Return Act II”. Her latest EP continued in her trend of intricate sound design and world building, while amplifying her heartfelt songwriting centered around introspection and scorned love. Hot off a Tyler, the Creator co-sign last year, I have high hopes that Natanya will build off her momentum and receive the commercial success she’s more than deserving of.

Songs to check out: Jezebel, Meeting You Once, On Ur Time

YT

Origins: YT was raised in a strict Nigerian household in Romford, a town in East London. From there, he attended Harrow School — a prestigious all boys boarding school. Initially, YT was mainly focused on school with his parents putting a heavy emphasis on his academics, but, amidst summer 2016, he recorded songs over type beats on his mum’s computer while she was at work. Those moments of curiosity set him on the course we see him on now.

Come Up: While attending Oxford University, where he would proudly graduate from in 2023, YT continued making and releasing music. Balancing his time between being a college student and an active rapper was a challenge for YT, but he juggled both and would find success with his hit “Arc’teryx” in 2021 while he was in his second year at school. YT was ready to drop out after getting a taste of virality and label offers, but at his parents behest stayed in school, a decision he looks back on gladly for not rushing things.

Today: YT would continue releasing songs throughout the years, releasing his mixtape “#STILLSWAGGIN” and follow-up album “Real Life” in 2023. 2024 would prove to be a life-changing year for YT when he collaborated with Lancey Foux on a track titled “Black & Tan”. The UK reinterpretation of jerk-rap coupled with the eye-catching Y2K music video by Lauzza shot YT into stardom and received critical acclaim. He would follow that with the powerful track “Prada or Celine” and then his mixtape “OI!” in March 2025. As the newfound golden child of the UK underground rap scene, YT is in prime position to establish himself as a mainstay amongst the heavyweights of the genre.

Songs to check out: Black & Tan, Girls Trip, Pocket Full Of Money Got My Trousers Falling Down