There are always artists refining their sound, honing their approach and deciding how they want to convey their thoughts and feelings to the wider world. Trends and styles and production techniques drift in and out of favor, but this much is certain: Particularly in North Texas, the spectrum of pop music is broad, bold and frequently surprising.
Still, in a state deeply beholden to the growl of rock guitars and the high, lonesome wail of country music fiddles, it can sometimes feel as though pop music gets slightly lost in the shuffle. This, despite Texas having turned out of some of the most consequential pop artists of the last 50 years: Beyoncé, Leon Bridges and Maren Morris — and that list merely scratches the surface.
In other words, sleep on Texas pop artists at your peril.
So, as this year winds down and we look ahead to 2025, we considered a trio of talents — all, some or none of whom may be familiar to you — but who we think may have a big impact locally and beyond in the coming months. If they aren’t in heavy rotation for you just yet, give it some time. Each of these artists — Gracen Wynn, Sam Cormier and Ella Red — is stepping into the spotlight and will grab your attention.
Get familiar with the sound of tomorrow today.
Gracen Wynn
Dallas-based singer-songwriter Gracen Wynn is an exceptionally quick study. In less than two years, the 23-year-old has gone from studying the music business to immersing herself in the thick of it.“I’ve been singing my entire life, and I actually didn’t start writing music until March of 2022,” Wynn says. “Growing up, I was content with singing songs by other artists who inspired me, but as I got older, I knew that if I wanted any remote chance of making music a reality, I’d eventually need to write my own songs. When I finally did, on a whim, it was one of those ‘A-ha!’ moments, and I was very emotional about it.”
That epiphany led Wynn to study at the University of North Texas, where she took commercial album-making and songwriting classes. A result was “Grey,” her first song on her own. Wynn, who cites Gracie Abrams, Novo Amor and Bon Iver as inspirations, released her debut single "Father’s Day" in June 2023.
“Since then, writing has become more of a constant and a way for me to process my wild emotions,” Wynn says.
“Father’s Day” is gorgeous in its austerity — haunting piano, guitar and violin accompaniment floats underneath Wynn’s bruised, vulnerable vocals. It's an incredibly polished first effort. What’s apparent in listening to Wynn’s output is that she has absorbed the lessons of those she admires and synthesized them in a way wholly her own.
Wynn has kept at it, partnering with Cameron Hayes and releasing new music, such as her most recent single, “Stop the Car,” a gently propulsive, acoustic ballad, fueled by her arresting alto voice. The song would be right at home on any pop station in the world.
She’s keenly aware of the artistic lineage from which she’s emerging.
“Getting to say that I'm from North Texas is ultimately one of my favorite things when I describe myself as a musician,” Wynn says. “I've developed my artistry and career here, and it means the world to me to experience more opportunities in the growing music scene. There are so many wonderful artists that have come from North Texas, such as Selena Gomez, Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lovato, Post Malone and so many more, and I am honored to be from an area where so many of these talented individuals are from.”
Wynn will appear at the House of Blues’ Cambridge Room on Jan. 17 and at the JAMBALOO festival at Club Dada on Feb. 2. She intends to release another single — “One of my favorite songs I’ve written,” she says — in January, and may release more music later in 2025.
“I've received so many kind messages from people that describe how my songs have touched them or helped them process experiences in their own lives,” Wynn says. “I've never experienced something like that before, but it makes me feel like I'm doing something right. All I want to do is help people feel heard. Each song I write comes from a place where I allowed myself to feel heard. I think as humans we need that.”
Sam Cormier
Music has been stitched into Sam Cormier’s life from his earliest days.
The 25-year-old Dallas native started singing, as many promising pop stars before him, in the church choir, gradually accumulating ability on other instruments, including the piano.
Cormier was intuitive about the value of a good hook at a young age, sharing his thoughts on Sheryl Crow’s smash hit “Soak Up the Sun” with his preschool class: “What I would give to be a fly on the wall to hear what my 4-year-old self had to say about Crow’s bubblegum pop masterwork,” Cormier says now.
He drew inspiration from all around him: Listening to the Chicks’ Wide Open Spaces on car rides with his mother; hearing Sylvan Esso’s debut album and feeling the possibilities expand. After returning from attending college in Washington, D.C., Cormier connected with Dashboard Confessional’s John Lefler, who helped him cut his first single, “American Denim.”
“It wasn’t until moving [back] to Dallas that I was introduced to a community that was supportive and willing to help me record my songs and share them,” Cormier says.
In the short time since the 2022 release of “Denim,” Cormier, who namechecks MUNA, Fred Again and Caroline Polachek as a few of his inspirations, has found his footing and swiftly made his mark. In February 2024, he dropped his debut EP, denim, and followed that up with a new single, “dirtyu,” which he released through State Fair Records.
“Even now, it seems folks typically expect a certain type of music from Texas, usually country or rock,” says Cormier, who identifies as queer. “There are so many different artists doing so many cool things in music, film, photography, et cetera. I want to contribute to this community of artists, and elevate the voices and work of other queer artists from other mediums through my work.”
With a fresh set of months around the corner, Cormier has no intention of taking his foot off the gas. He plans to release a live recording of his band’s performance at the Nasher Sculpture Garden’s Pride event earlier in 2024, will perform at Club Dada as part of February’s JAMBALOO event and is writing and recording a new album.
“The songs are really fun and honest, exploring queer identity and relationships,” Cormier says of the new material. “I feel like I’m getting better and more adventurous as a writer.”
“I write the music that I need,” Cormier adds. “I hope that people find comfort, joy and belonging in my music. Ideally, I would love everyone that listens to feel transcendent freedom and absolute fearlessness, but as long as people move around and have a little fun at one of my shows, I’d call that a win.”
Ella Red
Whatever else you may think of Ella Red’s music, absolutely no one can accuse her of taking it easy.The 21-year-old Frisco-based singer-songwriter, whose irresistible single “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” is spreading like wildfire, is seizing her moment with both hands. Her recent signing with Nettwerk Music Group is a move that unquestionably raises her profile at home and elsewhere.
“I’ve been working on so much music, and I haven’t been able to release it,” she says. “I have a few songs that I’ve been sitting on for a while that I think are going to be released early next year that a lot of people have been asking for, because I play [them] at my live shows … like, "where’s ‘Parasite,’ where’s ‘We’re All Gonna Die'?"
Beyond getting her music in the hands of fans, Ella Red plans to hit the road, opening up for Lolo In February and March — “I’m finally hitting the east side of America,” as she puts it — and picking up additional dates when and where she can.
She also intends to release an acoustic EP at some point in 2025, continue to expand her reach on social media and even work on picking up another language — or two.
“I’m a big language fanatic,” the singer says. “I love learning languages, and one thing I want to start doing is expanding, not just into English[-language] songs, but moving to French and Japanese and possibly Korean and Chinese, just to reach those different people who are in my fanbase better. I think music is such a bridge between languages and between cultures.”
For all of that — like we said, no days off for Ella Red — she has no plans to leave North Texas and try her luck living elsewhere. To hear her tell it, she has absolutely everything she needs to attain stardom right here.
“I’ve thought about that so many times: ‘Do I need to leave Dallas?’” she says. “Then I think, ‘I worked so hard to break into this music scene here, so what would the point be in leaving and starting anew somewhere else?’ There’s already such a huge [scene here] and it’s starting to grow, specifically the alternative-pop scene. … Dallas is rising up with the alternative scene.”
