The Names You Need To Know Now For 2023
Discover the actors, directors, artists and authors whose brilliant work we’re talking about – and why
Wallice
This kooky, indie-pop singer recently signed to the prestigious Dirty Hit Records, where label mates include Rina Sawayama, Beabadoobee and Wolf Alice, no less. Indeed, the LA native is turning heads with her sardonic and self-effacing anthems, which explore everything from fame to her own funeral. Her recently released debut EP, ’90s American Superstar, is set to become a gen-Z classic, following in the footsteps of era-defining albums by her own pop heroes, Radiohead and Weezer.
’90s American Superstar is out now
Taylor Russell
Russell’s portrayal of Emily in Trey Edwards Shults’ enervating, heartbreaking Waves rightly put her on every indie-film afficionado’s radar, but it will be her performance in Bones and All – a coming-of-age cannibal-romance directed by Luca Guadagnino – in which she stars opposite Timothée Chalamet that will cement the Canadian actor’s place at the pinnacle of pop culture.
Bones and All will be in cinemas from November 23
Poppy Ajudha
When Barack Obama crowns you one of his favorite artists, you know you’ve gone stratospheric – cue Ajudha’s name check by the former US President in 2019. Since then, Ajudha has blown up the airwaves with her debut album The Power in Us – a riotous, dance-pop missive that wowed critics and earnt her a place on stage at the prestigious BBC Proms and Later… With Jools Holland this summer. Catch her latest single, No!, a punchy collaboration with electropop icons Jungle, and stay tuned for her huge European tour, which kicks off in November – you might just see fans like Michaela Coel and Kae Tempest join the crowd.
See Poppy Ajudha’s tour dates here
Marisa Abela
When the Industry pilot (directed by Lena Dunham) dropped last fall, viewers were hooked on the ruthless, rollercoaster ride of banking life. One of the show’s standout performances came from Abela, who plays the formidable Yasmin Kara-Hanani. Yasmin’s backstory has become the focus of season two, as she disarms toxic family members and abusive colleagues with her steely put-downs. It’s no surprise, then, that Abela has just been tapped for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, which comes out in July 2023. And then there are the rumors swirling that she will play Amy Winehouse in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s highly anticipated biopic…
Industry season two is on HBO Max now; Barbie is in cinemas from July 2023
Nikita Gill
Poetry sensation Nikita Gill has racked up a legion of fans, who avidly reshare her highly emotive, relatable lyricism across TikTok, Instagram and Twitter. But you’d be mistaken for putting her under the umbrella of ‘Insta poet’. First published aged 12, Gill’s resume includes five collections and a novel, The Girl and the Goddess, which Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey is currently adapting into a TV series and the writer is exec-producing. She has also just published her first YA poetry collection, These Are The Words – an emboldening book, beautifully illustrated by Gill herself, containing the things she wishes she had learned growing up.
These Are The Words is out now
Haley Lu Richardson
Fans of The White Lotus likely share a belief that, should we do something terrible in this life, we will come back as a personal assistant to Tanya McQuoid (the capricious, self-delusional heiress played to perfection by Jennifer Coolidge). But in the show’s forthcoming season two, at least that role has been filled, with Haley Lu Richardson taking on the part of Portia. Richardson has built a stellar career playing warm, relatable women in projects like The Edge of Seventeen and After Yang, so we can only hope that Portia has a little more steel in order to survive her questionable career choice.
The White Lotus will be on HBO in late October
Halina Reijn
One of the most anticipated films of the year is Bodies Bodies Bodies. And no wonder, with a script by Cat Person author Kristen Roupenian, thrilling cast (Amandla Stenberg, Myha’la Herrold, Pete Davidson, Maria Bakalova, Lee Pace and Rachel Sennott) and backing from production company A24, which is famous for its indie marvels Midsommar and Minari. At the helm is Dutch director Halina Reijn, who is renowned for producing slick arthouse dramas. In Bodies Bodies Bodies, she brings her signature blend of darkness and humor, with a cinematic touch that sets it apart from your average teen slasher. With brilliant reviews already rolling in, Reijn’s star is firmly on the rise.
Bodies Bodies Bodies is in UK cinemas from September 9
Rachel Sennott
With a background in stand-up comedy, Sennott has become known for her deadpan one-liners, executed to perfection in her breakout role as aimless college senior Danielle in Emma Seligman’s indie hit Shiva Baby. This month, the actor treads similar waters in Bodies Bodies Bodies, playing privileged drifter Alice, who gets caught up in a party game with a fatal twist. Next, she’ll star in Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson’s The Idol alongside Lily-Rose Depp, as well as Seligman’s Bottoms with Kaia Gerber.
Bodies Bodies Bodies is in UK cinemas from September 9; The Idol is on HBO in November
Sheena Patel
If Sheena Patel’s I’m a Fan wasn’t one of your summer reading-list conquests, then now’s the time to make up for it. This electric, dexterous debut novel – which follows an unnamed protagonist as she traverses toxic relationships, the compulsion of social media and power struggles between her, “the woman I am obsessed with” and “the man I want to be with” – asserts Patel as one of the most transfixing writers to read right now. We’re already excited to see what she does next.
I’m a Fan is out now
The Linda Lindas
Counting the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O and Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna as mega-fans, this pop-punk-rock foursome is a true talking-point act. They first made waves in May 2021, when a video of them thrashing out their anthem Racist, Sexist Boy at the LA Public Library surfaced online, and the adulation has been nonstop ever since. Their debut album, aptly named Growing Up, was largely written and rehearsed on Zoom and the result is a ferocious, politically charged punk voyage. Catch them live on their current world tour.
Growing Up is out now