21 Under 21 2019: Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Mason Ramsey & More of Music's Next Generation

As social media increasingly affects streaming numbers and memes morph into hits, it has never been easier for younger artists to turn viral fame into chart success -- a sensation that Mason Ramsey, the only preteen on the 2019 list, knows better than most.

METHODOLOGY: A committee of Billboard editors weighed a variety of factors in determining the 2019 21 Under 21 list, including but not limited to impact on consumer behavior, as measured by such metrics as album sales, track sales, streaming volume, social media impressions and radio/TV audiences reached; company growth; career trajectory; reputation among peers; and overall impact in the industry specifically during the past 12 months. Where required, record-label market share was consulted using Nielsen Music market share for album plus track-equivalent and stream-equivalent album consumption units. Unless otherwise noted, Billboard Boxscore and Nielsen Music are the sources for tour grosses and sales/streaming data, respectively.

Contributors: Tatiana Cirisano, Leila Cobo, Stephen Daw, Gab Ginsberg, Josh Glicksman, Bianca Gracie, Lyndsey Havens, Carl Lamarre, Jason Lipshutz, Chris Payne, Andrew Unterberger, Taylor Weatherby, Christine Werthman

Total Streams: 173 million

Last September, Turizo guested on “Vaina Loca” on Ozuna’s second album, Aura -- the track peaked at No. 4 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, on which Turizo has scored 10 entries, including collaborations with artists like Piso 21 and Mau y Ricky. This August, when the Colombian urban singer released his debut album, ADN, artists such as Nicky Jam, Anuel AA and Ozuna returned the favor with features. Turizo says becoming a successful artist was nothing more than a childhood dream, but now that reality has set in, he says he wants his own stadium tour.

Total Streams: 439.1 million

Willow Smith has rebranded herself as a folksy neo-soul singer-songwriter following her 2010 breakout pop hit, “Whip My Hair,” which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the five years since releasing her debut EP, 3, Smith has toured with Jhene Aiko, starred in the music video for ZHU and Tame Impala’s “My Life” and performed with brother Jaden during his Coachella set. (Their dad, Will Smith, also dropped by.) Her third album, Willow, arrived in July and hit No. 11 on the R&B Album Sales chart.

Total Streams: 327.4 million

Since this Simon Cowell-formed fivesome put out its Phases EP in May, it has released three more singles, including “Rock Witchu,” which the group wrote and produced. The act also served as musical and creative director for its recent headlining FOMO Tour, which sold out 5,000-capacity venues. “Everybody that’s older tends to doubt the youth until they see the results they need to validate us,” says member Brandon Arreaga, “and then they pay attention.”

Total Streams: 75.5 million

2019 has been the most successful year yet for this South Korean six-piece, which is a subgroup of NCT, a boy band grouping that also includes NCT 127. In August, NCT Dream -- whose members age out at the Korean age of 21 (in Korea, people are considered 1 year old at birth) -- debuted on the Artist 100 chart thanks to its latest EP, We Boom: The 3rd Mini Album. Says member Haechan: “We’ll keep on working hard to meet the expectations” of the group’s devoted fan army, NCTzens.

Total Streams: 496.8 million

Noah Cyrus, who has collaborated with Labrinth and Gallant, says being the youngest in her famous family forced her to grow up fast. Even so, she says people still “question my decision-making and ideas -- I fight every day to maintain creative control of my career.” That vision, she says, is fully realized on her latest single, “July” -- her first release since her Good Cry EP in 2018. The country-leaning track hit No. 17 on the Pop Digital Song Sales chart.

Total Streams: 1 billion

The Mexico native, who says that his age has benefited his career, has made a name for himself in regional Mexican music with romantic ballads that deliver the long-respected traditional genre to a younger audience. Nodal’s 2017 debut, Me Dejé Llevar, hit No. 69 on the Billboard 200; this year’s Ahora peaked at No. 2 on the Latin Album Sales chart; and he has scored three No. 1 songs on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart.

Total Streams: 663.2 million

Born Tyler-Justin Anthony Sharpe in Queens, Lil Tecca emerged this summer with the Hot 100 top five hit “Ransom,” on which the singer-rapper’s flow glides over a shimmery beat. After adding Juice WRLD on the song’s remix, Tecca released his 17-track debut mixtape, We Love You Tecca, in August. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 4. Despite his quick rise, he has hinted he may tap out soon, tweeting: “could care less bout sum $$ if im not happy.”

Total Streams: 3.3 billion

It has been just a year since the release of this rapper’s meme-inducing Kanye West collaboration, “I Love It” -- which brought Lil Pump, born Gazzy Garcia in Miami, to Saturday Night Live as West’s guest. Since then, Lil Pump released his second album, Harverd Dropout, in February -- a nod to West’s 2004 set, The College Dropout -- scoring his second top 10 debut. “Now that I’ve been in the game for a few years,” he says, “[my age] doesn’t stop me from anything.”

Total Streams: 6.4 billion

The former SoundCloud rapper has landed four songs in the top 40 of the Hot 100, including breakout hit “Lucid Dreams”; released a No. 1 debut album, Death Race for Love; collaborated with Young Thug and BTS; and toured Europe with Nicki Minaj. But the Chicago rapper born Jarad Higgins, who recently bought his mother a house, is still adjusting to new fame: “You’re on a pedestal,” he says, “and the youth worship what you say.”