15. Tinashe

Tinashe Kachingwe was a member of the girl group the Stunners as a teenager between 2007 and 2011.  Although they received heavy promotion, the group never managed a top 40 pop hit. Her efforts this year at a solo career have been much more successful. The single "2 On" featuring rapper Schoolboy Q just missed reaching the top 10 at mainstream pop radio while climbing into the top 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In October Tinashe's debut album Aquarius opened inside the top 20 on the album chart.

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14. Ella Henderson

Back in 2012 X Factor fans in the UK were shocked when teenager Ella Henderson was eliminated early landing in sixth place. However, that was not the end to the singer's success. A wide range of celebrities generated a chorus of praise and by the end of the year Ella Henderson had signed a recording contract with Simon Cowell's Syco Music. Her debut single "Ghost" was released in the UK in June of this year and debuted at #1 on the pop singles chart.

By late in the year it was inside the top 40 at mainstream pop radio in the US. Ella Henderson followed her debut hit in the UK with the top 10 smash "Glow" and her debut album Chapter One hit #1 on the UK album chart.

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13. Jhene Aiko

Singer-songwriter Jhene Aiko first came to the music business more than a decade ago as a teenager accompanying the R&B boy band B2K as supposedly "Lil' Fizz's cousin" although there was no actual real life relation. A planned solo album was never released. In 2007 she returned to the music industry and ultimately released a well received mixtape followed by the EP Sail Out near the end of 2013. It included the top 10 R&B smash "The Worst" which found its way into the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 early in 2014 and earned a gold certification for sales.

Jhene Aiko's debut album Souled Out appeared in September to strong critical reviews and a #3 chart opening. Her music brings a stripped down, engaging adult sound to the future of the fuzzy boundaries between R&B and pop. 

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12. Bleachers

2012 was the year in which alternative pop band fun exploded on to the charts with the #1 hit single "We Are Young" and the platinum certified album Some Nights. While the band is not breaking up, guitarist Jack Antonoff embarked on a side project creating the band Bleachers for 2014. The group's arresting first single "I Wanna Get Better," with aggressive power pop energy, stormed its way to #1 at alternative radio.

 The debut album Strange Desire reached #11 on the album chart, and the group became a hot live ticket for the fall.

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11. Nico & Vinz

Norwegians Nico Sereba and Vinz Dery first recorded as a duo under the name Envy. Their 2011 debut single "One Song" was a top 20 hit in Norway. What would ultimately be their breakthrough hit worldwide "Am I Wrong" was first released under the name Envy. However, in January 2014 the new name Nico & Vinz was adopted along with a signing to the Warner Bros. label in the US. With major label support, "Am I Wrong" became an international smash peaking at #4 in the US and selling more than two million copies.

The follow up single "In Your Arms" quickly entered the mainstream pop radio top 40.

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10. Kiesza

Kiesa Ellestad, aka Kiesza, was seeking a ballet career as a teenager when an injury ended those hopes. Three years later at age 18 she wrote her first song. Now at age 25 she has become a pop star around the world. Her debut single "Hideaway" brought back the spirit of 90s dance pop and topped the UK pop singles chart. Here in the US it peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 but climbed all the way into the top 20 at mainstream pop radio.

Kiesza's debut album Sound Of a Woman was released in October.

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9. MAGIC!

Canadian reggae-pop band MAGIC! is a brainchild of producer-songwriter Nasri and guitarist Mark Pellizzer. With an interest in creating a band like a, "modern day Police," MAGIC! was born. The first single "Rude" was a worldwide smash hit. It went to #1 in the US and sold more than three million copies.  That helped the debut album Don't Kill the Magic reach #6 on the US album chart.

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8. Charli XCX

British singer-songwriter Charli XCX first visited US pop charts back in 2012 and 2013 as featured vocalist on Icona Pop's breakthrough top 10 smash "I Love It." However, her efforts releasing the solo album True Romance are now best forgotten. This year she stormed into the charts like a brand new artist first lending her vocals to Iggy Azalea's #1 smash "Fancy" and then as a solo artist with the top 10 hit "Boom Clap." By late in the year Charli XCX was back in the mainstream pop radio top 40 with her follow up "Break the Rules" while prepping her album Sucker for a December release.

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7. Clean Bandit

Electronic pop group Clean Bandit first reached charts in the UK back in 2012 with their debut single "A+E." It was followed by the top 20 hit "Mozart's House" which featured a blending of dance, pop, and classical music elements. In January the single "Rather Be" with strong vocals from Jess Glynne flew to #1 in the UK and stayed there for four weeks. Later in the year the song crossed the Atlantic and climbed its way to the top 10 earning a platinum sales certification along the way.

Clean Bandit take dance pop in an elegant direction that is fresh and exciting on the pop charts.

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5. 5 Seconds Of Summer

Irish singer-songwriter Andrew Hozier-Byrne performs and records under the mononym Hozier. His debut single "Take Me To Church" is a song of intense emotions connected with falling in love coupled with a less than subtle criticism of organized religion.  Musically, it is arresting and earlier in the year climbed to the top of both rock and adult alternative radio airplay charts. A stellar live performance on Saturday Night Live coupled with a plum spot for the song in a Beats By Dre commercial featuring LeBron James boosted the song into the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

 It is also just an introduction to this artist's powerful self-titled debut album that reached #2 on the album chart.

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4. Tove Lo

Iggy Azalea wasn't the only new Australian pop artist making waves on US shores in 2014. Given a big boost by concert openings for One Direction, 5 Seconds Of Summer became the next big thing for tween girls around the planet. Fueled by a series of promotional singles that reached the top 40, the group's self-titled debut album hit #1 around the world and was certified gold for sales here in the US.

 The music video for "She Looks So Perfect" is a great encapsulation of the spirit and energy of 5 Seconds Of Summer.

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3. Meghan Trainor

Sweden's producers have frequently been at the forefront of the world's pop music for decades now. This year a singer stepped forth to prove the Scandinavian nation can produce compelling artists as well. There is something hypnotic about Tove Lo's voice that has drawn listeners worldwide into her song "Habits (Stay High)." Her emotional recordings always seem to come with a hint of danger as well.

The debut album Queen Of the Clouds arrived in September and opened at #14 on the US album chart, a strong appearance for a new artist. It is filled with worthy followers to "Habits (Stay High)," a top 3 chart smash.

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2. Iggy Azalea

When 2014 began, Meghan Trainor was one of many aspiring young songwriters living and working in the music city of Nashville, Tennessee. However, inspired by hearing her demo recording, music executive L.A. Reid encouraged the release of her song "All About That Bass" with Meghan Trainor as the artist. The result has been a #1 hit that spent an impressive eight weeks at the top. That gave her the longest reigning debut pop hit by a female solo artist since Kesha's arrival.

The song is not only catchy, but its female empowerment message touched a nerve as well. Proving she is no one-hit wonder, Meghan Trainor has followed the song with a second radio hit "Lips Are Movin'."

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1. Sam Smith

Australian rapper Iggy Azalea arrived in the US at the age of 16 nearly a decade ago with a determination to be a star. It has been a long climb with pitfalls along the way, but she made it this year in spectacular fashion. Her debut hit "Fancy" climbed all the way to #1 on the pop charts becoming one of the biggest hits of the year. She also made a splashy appearance on Ariana Grande's smash "Problem," and then found herself back in the top 5 with her own "Black Widow." Iggy Azalea also packs punch into live appearances with her striking model looks.

This is truly the year in which the girl named "I-G-G-Y" arrived.

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It's not often that the most touted new artist at the opening of a year is still the most celebrated by the end of the year.  2014 has amounted to an impressive arrival for English singer-songwriter Sam Smith. He kicked off 2014 winning the BBC's Sound of 2014 poll. A short while later his talents arrived on these shores as featured vocalist on Naughty Boy's elegant "La La La."  That was followed by his singing on Disclosure's "Latch," and then In the Lonely Hour, a gem of a debut album as solo artist.

It has since generated two major hit singles in "Stay With Me" and "I'm Not the Only One." There is a palpable feeling of longing in Sam Smith's voice that flawlessly transports the listener to a very personal, emotional place. He is an artist with phenomenal potential.

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