The holidays are over and it’s time to delete all those Christmas songs and get your ears around some new music. The next year will inevitably bring the rise of a few new superstars; here’s a few of our picks for ones that deserve a big breakthrough in 2025.

Billy Tibbals: He’s young and flashy, he writes killer songs, and he looks like Marc Bolan of T. Rex — No wonder people like Noel Gallagher and the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson have been talking up this young Londoner who’s now based in Hollywood. Clearly reincarnated from the heyday of glam rock, Tibbals is the kind of act (along with Philadelphia’s more established Low Cut Connie) who remind you how much fun rock is supposed to be. He looks to be touring in 2025, meanwhile you can check out videos like the Queenly ballad “Dream Away” and the New York Dolls strut “Burnout.”

Luvcat:  We’ve definitely fallen in luv with this Liverpool chanteuse (real name Sophie Morgan), who’s gotten raves on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to a singing voice that matches her exotic persona (she claims she ran away to the circus as a teen and had a mad affair with the ringmaster). Her music sounds like what you’d expect from someone with that kind of backstory; cabaret-tinged pop with an alt-rock edge. All it takes to fall under her spell is to watch her recent video, “Dinner @ Brasserie Zédel”— a romantic getaway fantasy that keeps its tongue elegantly in cheek.

Vivid Bloom:  Shoegaze is alive and vital in the hands of this Boston band, who are both louder and a bit more mysterious than their ‘90s role models. The four songs on their excellent EP “Out of Focus” all take their time to unravel, with the voices obscured behind a curtain of guitars. But it still doesn’t take long to realize how lovely their songs are, with melodies that hook you strong. They’re booked for Boston Calling and sure to be a highlight.

Jake Thistle:  With Southside Johnny retiring and Springsteen off making movies, it’s about time a bright young upstart came out of the fabled Asbury Park scene. Like those older guys, Thistle favors a big and rousing sound, keeping two guitars and organ in his band. But he also has a foot in power pop, writing solid hook-driven songs rather than mini-epics. The clips we’ve seen of his Stone Pony gigs are a blast, including the cover of Tom Petty’s Christmas song last month.

Joy Clark:  The best singer-songwriter you haven’t heard of yet, Joy Clark is currently making big waves in New Orleans. Her sound combines lyrical introspection with locally-rooted funk and soul, her new debut album “Tell It To the Wind” (released on the Righteous Babe label whose owner Ani DiFranco is a fan) spotlights her gospel-infused vocals and elegant lead guitar. Her anthemic song “Shine” aims to empower and succeeds.

Quiet Light: This electro-pop artist (real name, Riya Mashesh)  built a name in Austin, TX before coming to Boston to get a medical degree at UMass. Informed by hip-hop as well as outlaw country, her songs are essentially dramatic monologues in lush, dream-pop settings. Check out “Keira Knightley,” which compares her personal life to that of her more successful role model.

The Paranoid Style: Led by the husband-wife duo of Elizabeth Nelson and Tim Bracy, this Washington DC combo has been around for a few years but delivered one of 2024’s best alternative pop albums, “The Interrogator,” and is ripe for wider discovery. They have the kick and drive of garage rock, but aren’t afraid to write complicated melodies and to work socio-political satire into their lyrics. Pick hit: “I Love the Sound of Structured Class,” which twists a Nick Lowe title that their target audience will recognize.

Hunter Hawkins:  She’s from Los Angeles, she’s worked with Kenny Loggins and members of Chicago, and she does the prettiest cover of “What a Fool Believes” you’ll ever hear. So yes, this purple-haired, angel-voiced artist just might be the second coming of yacht rock. But there’s more to her than that; she came from musical theater and there are a few clips out there of her making magic with standards. Put her in the tradition of California artists who can sing anything.

The Linda Lindas:  This teen  punk quartet already had a hot year in 2024, following up their underground smash “Racist Sexist Boy” with the first Spanish-language punk waltz (“Yo Me Estressa”)  ever to include Weird Al Yankovic on accordion. They also played some high profile bills — including the Green Day package at Fenway Park, which they nearly stole with a 15-minute set. They’re doing their first headline tour this year, hitting the Paradise on April 23. Will the Lindas hit superstar level this year?

(Photo amazon.com)