Top 10 Female Artists of 2026

As the music world transitions into 2026, a new wave of female artists, alongside some classic icons, is set to shape the sound of the year. From rising voices redefining soul and pop like Olivia Dean and Lola Young, to global powerhouses such as Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, 2026 promises to be a year powered by women revolutionizing music. The industry is entering an era where genre lines blur, creativity thrives, and artists are more fearless than ever in telling their stories.

This list spotlights ten female artists you’ll want on your radar: the dynamic girl group KATSEYE, chart-dominators like Ariana Grande and SZA, pop stars like Zara Larsson and Addison Rae, and rap icons like Cardi B. Whether they’re preparing major comebacks, launching breakthrough projects, or expanding their global influence, these ten women are poised to define the soundtrack of 2026. 

Olivia Dean

British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean is one of the most compelling emerging artists to keep an eye on in 2026. She released her second studio album, The Art of Loving, in late 2025, which blends elements of soul, pop, and jazz with lyrical depth. The album showcases her vocal and lyrical talent, drawing on influences such as Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse and Carole King, while still carving out a distinct voice of her own. Her single “Man I Need” achieved standout chart success, cementing her presence beyond the UK and signalling that her international reach is growing. 

What makes Olivia Dean especially exciting for 2026 is the momentum she brings into the year: with her arena tour kicking off in Europe and North America, the stage is set for her to become a truly global act. Beyond commercial prospects, her songwriting feels timeless rather than just chasing trends. Dean has a certain authenticity about her, and there seems to be a true desire to connect with her audience.  She has already earned recognition such as BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year and shortlisted honours for the Mercury Prize. In short: if you’re looking for an artist who combines emotional depth, musical quality and growth potential, Olivia Dean is one to watch very closely in 2026.

Katseye

KATSEYE didn’t just arrive in 2025; they landed with intention. The six-member global girl group 一 Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia, and Yoonchae 一 born from HYBE Entertainment and Geffen Records’ ambitious partnership, represents something the industry has been trying to crack for years: a true hybrid between K-pop and Western pop. Their Netflix docuseries “Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE”  gave fans an emotional front-row seat to their journey from 120,000 hopeful members to six, creating investment before the group even officially debuted. That strategy paid off massively. 

Their second EP, Beautiful Chaos, debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, with lead single “Gnarly” earning their first Hot 100 entry and “Gabriela” — co-written by Charli XCX — landing them Grammy nominations for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best New Artist. But what truly set them apart was their ability to dominate beyond music charts. Their Gap campaign became a cultural moment, racking up over 400 million views as they danced to a reworked “Milkshake” in Y2K-inspired denim. At Lollapalooza, they drew over 85,000 people to a daytime set, the largest crowd for an early performance in the festival’s history. High-fashion collaborations with Fendi, Coach, and Louis Vuitton followed, cementing their status as style icons. 

Yet the road hasn’t been easy. In a candid BBC interview, all six members revealed they regularly face death threats and relentless online hate, including dystopian fan ranking systems. But they’ve remained resilient, leaning on their fanbase, the EYECONS, and the mantra from their debut EP: “soft is strong.” As their sold-out Beautiful Chaos Tour wraps and their 2026 Lollapalooza Argentina performance alongside Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan approaches, one thing is clear: KATSEYE isn’t just a global experiment anymore. They’re proof that precision and personality can coexist, that corporate partnerships can still feel authentic, and that in 2026, they’re not chasing the blueprint; they are the blueprint.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga has been an industry leader for what seems like forever. With her eclectic style, monstrous stage presence and iconic vocals, Gaga continues to impress with her capabilities. With her latest album, Mayhem, released in March of 2025, Gaga proved that her work is timeless and just as impactful as always. The album features the hit single “Abracadabra”, a track that blends heavy industrial beats with a soaring, melancholic chorus. This single was accompanied by fierce choreography that many fans showcased their own rendition of on various social media platforms, pushing the track to viral status across TikTok and Instagram Reels. With an overall brooding but still engaging tone, the album perfectly nestles into Gaga’s lengthy discography, drawing comparison to the darker intensity of The Fame Monster while maintaining the mature lyrical depth of Joanne and Chromatica. To celebrate the release, Gaga embarked on the Mayhem Tour to fully showcase the album and her coveted talents.

Come February, the Mayhem tour will be in full swing with new dates popping up for 2026. This ensures that the whimsical and daunting album graces the stages of the new year, with stops announced across Europe, Asia, and new North American legs to meet overwhelming demand. Her creativity resonates with fans and newcomers alike, showing that her influence is effervescent. The tour is noted not just for the music but also for its thematic exploration of duality and self-acceptance, reflecting the album’s core messages. Gaga is nominated for Record of the Year for the 2026 Grammys, specifically for the track “Abracadabra.” A win would further solidify her as a great and prove that her most recent album lives in all of our heads rent-free, cementing its place as a critical and commercial success that helped define the musical landscape of 2025.

Many have speculated that Gaga has another album up her sleeve for 2026, but there is no true confirmation just yet. It is still impressive that she continues to top her work year after year, consistently reinventing her sound while maintaining her signature blend of pop, rock, and theatricality, but surely no one could complain if another awe-inspiring album were added to the list. It is seldom known what else is to come for Gaga in 2026, but there is no mistaking that she will continue to raise the bar for musicians worldwide.

Lola Young

Everyone can remember the moment Lola Young’s voice slipped into their world for the first time. Maybe it was through the haunting hook of “Messy” flooding TikTok feeds, or maybe it was during a late-night scroll when her raw, raspy vocals cut straight through the noise. Either way, it became clear very quickly that Lola was not just another emerging artist, and she was building her own lane. After the release of her 2024 album This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway, she went from an underrated soul-pop singer to one of the most talked-about young artists in the U.K. and U.S. Her storytelling, which sits somewhere between confession and confrontation, made her impossible to ignore, and “Messy” became the breakout song that pushed her into international recognition.

But Lola didn’t let herself be defined by a single viral moment. In September 2025, she released her third studio album, _I’m Only Fking Myself_**, and it was the project that officially solidified her place among the top 10 female artists of 2026. The album digs into her personal history with heartbreak, addiction, and the ways we sabotage ourselves before we even realize it. Tracks like “Not Like That Anymore,” “One Thing,” and “d£aler” were praised for their honesty and emotional depth, showing how she’s grown from a rising star into a fully realized storyteller. The album’s confessional tone, mixed with her genre-blending sound — part soul-pop, part alternative, part sheer emotional grit — gave listeners a version of Lola that felt bigger, braver, and even more unfiltered than before.

Between her viral success, her critically praised albums, and her fearless approach to writing about the “ugly” parts of being young, Lola Young has become the kind of artist people genuinely connect with. With her music built on honesty, vulnerability, and a voice that sounds like it has lived a thousand lives by age twenty-four, that authenticity, paired with her rapidly growing catalogue of standout songs, is exactly why she’s earned her place on Funktasy’s Top 10 Female Artists of 2026. Lola Young is defining what the new wave of emotionally raw pop music looks like.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has been dominating the music industry for nearly two decades. The way she moved through 2025 made it obvious why she’s still at the top. She kept reinventing herself and kept the world paying attention.

2025 marked a milestone in her career, with the release of The Tortured Poets Department capturing everyone’s attention and defining the year. Tracks like “Fortnight”, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” and “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” became the songs everyone talked about partly because they were everywhere, and partly because the writing hit in a way only Taylor can pull off. The album got major praise, dominated the charts, and reminded everyone why she’s still such a powerful storyteller.

That’s exactly why Taylor Swift is one of the top artists of 2026. She closed out 2025 with a blockbuster album that not only dominated the charts but also confirmed that her artistry keeps evolving, no matter how massive her fame gets. She’s not on this list just because she’s a legend. She’s on it because she keeps proving why she deserves to be here.

Zara Larsson

Zara Larsson didn’t just grow into her stardom; she sharpened it with intention. The Swedish pop force, who’s been in the spotlight since winning Talang at age 10, has spent the last decade proving she’s more than a hitmaker. She’s a strategist, a storyteller, and one of the most self-possessed artists of her generation.

Her early global smashes — “Lush Life,” “Never Forget You,” “Symphony” — weren’t just chart moments, they were cultural ones. But Zara’s evolution has been even more compelling. Buying back her masters and launching her own label marked a shift: she wasn’t just participating in the industry anymore, she was rewriting her place in it.

Her most recent album, Midnight Sun, feels like the culmination of everything she’s been building toward. Confidence, emotional, and sonically massive. The title track earned her first Grammy nomination and cemented her as an artist who doesn’t need shock value or gimmicks — just vision and an iron grip on her craft.

Beyond the music, her fashion sense, outspoken feminism, and sharp humour have turned her into a modern pop archetype: unfiltered but polished, glamorous but grounded. And she’s been candid about the cost of that visibility. The online hate, the scrutiny, the pressure to be perfect. Instead of folding, she anchors herself in her fanbase, the Zarriors, and a mantra she returns to again and again: softness isn’t weakness.

As her Midnight Sun world tour sells out across continents and she steps into her most self-defined era yet, one thing is clear: Larsson isn’t just a staple of pop’s next chapter. She’s proof that independence and impact can coexist, and that when a pop star takes control of her own narrative, the world pays attention.

Cardi B

Cardi B continues to dominate the global music scene as the year comes to an end, cementing her place among the top 10 female artists of 2026. With her bold personality and razor-sharp lyricism, she has transformed from a viral social media star into one of hip-hop’s most influential voices. Her sophomore album “Am I The Drama?” broke records on the Billboard 200, spending more weeks in the top 10 than any other female rap album of the decade. Beyond her chart success, Cardi’s unapologetic authenticity and ability to connect with fans across cultures have made her a defining figure in contemporary music.

Her impact extends far beyond the charts, shaping fashion, politics, and cultural conversations. Cardi B’s outspoken nature has kept her at the center of public discourse, while collaborations with major artists continue to push her sound into new territories. In 2025, she made headlines at Paris Fashion Week, reinforcing her role as both a style icon and cultural influencer. As she enters 2026, Cardi B’s blend of charisma, artistry, and resilience ensures her place not just as a hitmaker but as a trailblazer redefining what it means to be a female artist in the modern era.

Ariana Grande

What do you call someone who has been in the spotlight of the acting and music world for more than a decade? A massive talent — and that’s exactly what Ariana Grande is. Ariana has had a long career of living up to the hype her fans have set for her. While 2025 has been a big year for Ariana, 2026 is already shaping up to be another good year in the books.

Despite being named songwriter of the year at the SESAC LA music awards in 2025, Ariana has told L.A. Times that this upcoming summer tour, “Eternal Sunshine,” will be her last as she steps away from touring indefinitely. Ariana’s music career has been a successful one. An achievement that she held for a long time, before Taylor Swift would beat the record, was having the most number-one debuts for a female artist. Ariana’s final tour of 2026 will be highly anticipated, especially since her last tour was seven years prior in 2019, the “Sweetener World Tour.”

No need to fret, Ariana Grande will not be leaving the spotlight, but only taking a step back from music. This will allow her time to focus on another highly successful part of her career: being a world-class actress. She is starring in highly anticipated films like  “Wicked: For Good” and “Focker In-Law.”

In other areas off the stage and screen, Ariana has an eye-catching sense of fashion. In 2025, Ariana celebrated her third collaboration with Swarovski in their Spring/Summer collection. Bringing a 1960’s feel to a modern era, and showcasing some pretty wicked jewelry. 

SZA

SZA is a powerhouse in music today. With many different accomplishments, it’s hard not to be inspired by the hard work and dedication SZA brings to the table. Having won awards and being on stages in front of crowds that any musician would die for, SZA is in a league of her own.

Winning an award for your art isn’t like earning a participation trophy. While some people may not see the awards as necessary, these help artists to know they’re on the right track. SZA has won the “Best Female R&B/Pop Artist” from the BET awards and the iHeart radio “R&B Artist of the Year” award.

Setting up for a big year in 2026, SZA is preparing to go back on tour. This one will be chock-full of special guests and unique stage art that will feature holograms and other interactions that’ll react to the energy the crowd is giving back. This tour will feature a mix of genres such as K-Pop, jazz, and hip-hop.

Music is more than just awards, style, and sound; it’s also about longevity. SZA’s second studio album, “SOS”, spent over 140 weeks in the Billboard Top 200 and just over 100 weeks in the top 10. If this wasn’t impressive enough, SZA has collaborated and shared a stage at the Super Bowl with Kendrick Lamar.

Addison Rae

Addison Rae has definitively moved beyond her origins as a viral social media personality and established herself as one of the most exciting female artists of 2026. Her debut album, “Addison,” not only solidified her place in the pop landscape but also earned her a coveted nomination for Best New Artist at the 68th Grammy Awards. The album, a lush, ’90s-inspired blend of dance-pop and house music, showcased a surprising artistic depth, drawing favourable comparisons to iconic pop provocateurs like Madonna and Britney Spears. Singles like “Diet Pepsi” and “Fame is a Gun” became inescapable, proving her ability to deliver genuine, chart-climbing hits far beyond the confines of a TikTok dance trend. 

Following her successful debut tour, The Addison Tour, in 2025, she has been invited to perform on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including key slots at the Coachella Music Festival and a headlining performance at Primavera Sound Barcelona. These high-profile festival bookings signal a major step up in her touring career, demonstrating the confidence of major promoters in her drawing power and stage presence.

The future for the bubbly artist is as intriguing as her meteoric rise. She has hinted that her self-titled debut album will be her last under the name Addison Rae, suggesting a future artistic identity that simply goes by Addison, much like Madonna. With her signature Y2K aesthetic, a growing roster of high-profile collaborations, including Charli XCX, and an unapologetic commitment to her unique vision, Addison is not just making music; she’s crafting a compelling pop legacy that will undoubtedly continue to keep her firmly planted among the top female artists in the years to come. As stated in her song, “Fame is a Gun,” she’s “gonna go down in history.”

The Female Powerhouses

These 10 female artists represent a dynamic spectrum of talent that continues to redefine the boundaries of popular music. Each artist brings a unique voice and creative vision, from Cardi B’s unapologetic rap dominance to Taylor Swift’s ever-evolving storytelling, and from SZA’s soulful vulnerability to Lady Gaga’s theatrical innovation. Together, they showcase how female artistry is not only thriving but also shaping the cultural conversations of this era, blending genres, experimenting with new sounds, and commanding global stages with unmatched influence.

What unites these artists is their ability to connect deeply with audiences while pushing the industry forward. Addison Rae and Katseye highlight the rise of digital-native performers, while Zara Larsson and Olivia Dean embody the global reach of contemporary pop. Meanwhile, Ariana Grande and Lola Young balance powerhouse vocals with emotional depth, proving that artistry can be both technically brilliant and personally resonant. As 2026 unfolds, this collective of women demonstrates that the future of music is diverse, innovative, and unapologetically female-driven, leaving an indelible mark on the industry and inspiring the next generation of creators.