KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 — Leading streaming service Spotify has indeed made it a whole lot easier for us to find the music we want and we know what’s on our playlist but what about the rest of Malaysia?

If you’ve been wondering which artist has been dominating the music industry here right now, the answer is Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes tops the list, boasting 25 million Spotify listeners each month and over 500 million streams of his breakout smash, Stitches.

That’s right, Spotify today revealed the 25 most influential artists under the age of 25 who are dominating the music industry in Malaysia at the moment and hot on his heels are: Ariana Grande, Martin Garrix, Justin Bieber and Alessia Cara.

On the local front, the top 25 list also included newcomers like Nik Qistina and mainstays like BTS, Bil Musa and Elizabeth Tan.

“These young artists have broken boundaries and are certainly leading global culture regardless of age, making an impact across the world with their creativity and music.

“We are excited to see music from all over the world — international, regional and local — resonate amongst our Spotify users in Malaysia. With so many young listeners on Spotify, it's always fascinating to hone in on the peer artists they're listening to and looking up to," said Spotify APAC Director of Label Relations Tan Chee Meng.

Music experts at Spotify, in deciding the 25 under 25 list, looked at various factors including the number of people listening to an artist each month, artists with songs featured in  top playlists and top-performing artists by genre.

Here’s the full list of Spotify Malaysia’s 25 Under 25 List

1. Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes started out posting six-second Vine clips of himself singing covers, and now, at 18, the singer-songwriter from Toronto fills major venues and attracts an impressive 25 million Spotify listeners each month.

2. Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande might not be a dangerous woman in the criminal sense, but her music slays. Multiple tracks from the 23-year-old singer’s latest album have gone on to become instant hits; Dangerous Woman and Into You have both clocked more than 200 million streams each, and Side to Side (with Nicki Minaj), is a top 10 song on Spotify’s global chart.  

3. Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber has been on a hot streak since his comeback Diplo/Skrillex collaboration Where Are Ü Now dropped in early 2015. With follow-up monster solo hits that just keep coming at us, like Love Yourself, What Do You Mean? and Sorry — which have all passed the 700 million streams mark — there’s just no stopping Biebs. Bieber’s collaboration with Major Lazer and MØ, Cold Water is currently streaming more than 2.5 million times a day.

4. Alessia Cara

Alessia Cara might have made a name for herself with a song about her disdain for teen parties, but the party has definitely arrived for this talented 20-year-old from Canada. Since the success of Here, Spotify’s most viral song in the US last year (and #5 globally), the R&B singer has attracted more than 13 million monthly listeners.  

5. Charlie Puth

With a whopping 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify, singer-songwriter Charlie Puth is one of the top players in pop music today. He gained worldwide recognition for the Wiz Khalifa song See You Again which Puth wrote, produced and sang on. His duets with leading ladies like Meghan Trainor (Marvin Gaye) and Selena Gomez (We Don’t Talk Anymore) turned to pop gold, with the latter seeming to have taken up permanent residency on our global charts.

6. Fifth Harmony

This all-girl R&B group needs no introduction; more than 16 million Spotify listeners stream Fifth Harmony’s infectious tracks each month. The fun, flirty jam Work From Home has racked up more than half a billion listens and was a playlist staple over the summer in the US and UK (much like Worth It from the year before).

7. Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee Steinfeld’s latest track, Starving, is taking off with more than 160 million streams and a confident sojourn up Spotify’s global chart. It’s safe to say the track solidifies the 19-year-old Oscar-nominated actress as a top pop artist, following on from last year’s breakout single Love Myself (210 million streams). Steinfeld, who also starred as one of the Bardon Bellas in the accapella-celebrating movie Pitch Perfect 2, has 17 million monthly listeners.

8. Flume

Australian deejay/producer Flume just picked up 11 nominations for Australia’s Grammy-equivalent awards show, the ARIA’s, and is touring Europe and the US to support his excellent sophomore album, Skin. Currently, Spotify listeners can’t get enough of Flume’s latest hits Say It (feat. Tove Lo) and Never Be Like You (feat Kai). With 13 million monthly listeners, Flume (real name Harley Edward Streten), is one of the top EDM artists on the scene.

9. Zara Larsson

After winning a TV talent show in her native Sweden at 10, Zara Larsson disappeared for a while and honed her singing chops before making it her mission to tear up the world stage of pop music. Mission accomplished: monster tracks Never Forget You (385 million streams) and Lush Life (485 million streams) feature Larsson, now 18, as a genre-bending artist, blending pop, EDM and even a little hip-hop. Larsson attracts a whopping 18 million monthly listeners and her current track Aint My Fault is killing it on our “Today’s Top Hits” playlist.

10. Selena Gomez

With multiple songs surpassing 200 million streams like Hands to Myself, Same Old Love and Good For You (currently at about 330 million streams), Selena Gomez, is now one of the leading ladies of pop music. She averages 2.5 million streams a day and listeners are besotted with her current collaboration with Charlie Puth, We Don’t Talk Anymore.

11. Halsey

Many Spotify listeners have followed pop singer Halsey’s career with great interest over the years, streaming her New Americana, some 130 million times. But it’s her guest spot on the world’s biggest hit of the moment, The Chainsmokers’ Closer that brought Halsey’s stunning voice to the masses. Her solo music now averages 1.5 million streams a day.

12. Daya

Singer-songwriter Daya can be heard all over The Chainsmokers’ massive summer hit, Don’t Let Me Down, but last year her own track Hide Away (215 million streams) was already setting her stage for superstardom. Her full-length debut album Sit Still, Look Pretty and the title track has had an impressive run in Spotify’s “Today’s Top Hits” playlist.

13. BTS

This seven-member South Korean boy band are not only known for their musical talent but also for their large social media presence, and were named by Forbes as the most retweeted artist on Twitter in March this year. Their lead hit single Blood Sweat & Tears from their second studio album (Wings) is fast becoming a fan favourite with over eight million streams since it was launched on Spotify.

14. EXO

EXO is definitely a boyband that everyone looks out for. Short for Exoplanet, these heartthrobs are known for their unique mix of rap, hip-hop, rock, R&B and most importantly their choreography. The band’s latest single Dancing King has been bringing in the stream numbers since launch, as it is now shy from three million streams.

15. BLACKPINK

BLACKPINK released their debut single album Square One followed by their second single album Square Two. Although, a recent newcomer to the industry, they have definitely crushed any misconception anyone had about them as their (debut) hit singles — Whistle and Boombayah —  secured the top positions on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart. They were fastest act to do so, and the third Korean artist to hold such spots. 

16. ​周興哲

We should be grateful to Eric’s mother for insisting that he take up classical piano. From there, this young accomplished artist found his passion in composing his own songs, whilst capturing the raw emotions of life. His second album What Love Has Taught Us… carries one of his proudest work Let’s Not Be Friends in The Future; from being picked as the OST for a prominent Taiwanese drama to being one of his most streamed songs on Spotify.

17. Sufian Suhaimi

Sufian’s poetic lyrics definitely resonate amongst his fans and this young singer has been racking up the streaming numbers in such a short time. His first single Terakhir has over two million streams since the launch earlier this year.

18. Aiman Tino

Aiman Tino broke into the Malaysian music industry at 18 with hit song Ku Rela Dibenci, written by his own parents. It was this hit that pushed Aiman further into the limelight.

19. Elizabeth Tan

Elizabeth Tan burst into the scene in 2013 and recently released her latest single Tabah, which speaks volumes to many of us as we go through life’s journey. With over 300,000 streams on Spotify, Elizabeth definitely captures the need of being resilient and strong perfectly.

20. Bil Musa

Bil Musa was discovered while she was performing at her friend’s brother’s wedding and now Spotifiers are enjoying the storytelling style she uses in her songs. This is apparent in her first album, Bil Musa; especially with her singles I Would Die and The Beach.

21. Nik Qistina

Nik Qistina dropped her first single this year, titled Young Hearts. She is a natural entertainer and her easy ability to capture an audience on camera and on stage, her singing skills and her stunning beauty, combined with her soulful, warm, voice, makes her a sure candidate to be the next big thing.

22. Tasha Manshahar

After four years in the music industry, Tasha is serious about her music career besides being a school teacher. Her passion to educate and entertain is apparent as she strives to reach out to people through these channels. You can definitely find her singles rocking the Carta Malaysia 50 and Pop Terkini 50 playlists.

23. Ayda Jebat

Actress and singer, Nur Suhada Binti Jebat, or better known by her stage name, Ayda Jebat, has been creating waves within the music industry. Her current hit Pencuri Hati has over one million streams and continues gaining attention within the platform. 

24. Aziz Harun

This talented lad started singing at the tender age of three and it’s no surprise his passion has become a major part of his life. This year has been a good one for him as he nabbed the Anugerah Planet Music (APM) 2016 award for the Best Song Collaboration category. Apart from that, he released a hit duet with Elizabeth Tan, titled Mama.

25. Talitha Tan

From singing in bathroom, this young performer now stands in front of a crowd, mesmerising them with her voice. Her latest single Okay (featuring Darren Ashley) is definitely a fan favourite as it is just shy from a million streams on Spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/embed/user/spotifylrasia/playlist/4a1ceMNJEKS87Sw2siZpfK