The 25 Most Stylish Musicians of 2024

Tokischa is a force that simply cannot be ignored, marrying both humor and refinement in her style. From the more polished ensembles, like her Gallery Session debut in which she donned a black Balenciaga hourglass-waisted jacket, to her more playful looks, like the Jean Paul Gaultier corset top complete with sculpted breasts she wore in Paris last summer, Tokischa understands the principles of suiting and redefines them to make it her own.

Like their unapologetic verses that have been drawing in crowds since 2017’s “Fu*k Dat Ni**a,” City Girls JT and Yung Miami’s style is vibrant and exciting. The release of their “Flashy” video last year saw coveted items like the Marc Jacobs platforms (an homage to punk legend Vivienne Westwood), pieces from AREA’s fall couture show, and Cartier diamonds dripping throughout every scene. 

“I would describe my style as alt-pretty,” Jatavia “JT” Johnson told Vogue. “I don’t want to say Barbie, actually, because it’s not. But doll. It’s doll.”

A$AP Rocky rarely stays within a lane. His Met Gala look, for example, dressed head-to-toe in Gucci, exemplified that even jeans can be red-carpet worthy. In the opening of his video for “Riot,” A$AP takes to the streets in Pharrell’s first collection for Louis Vuitton, boasting, “I just call designers up, I free ninety-nine it,” before changing into a custom set by Berlin designer Gerrit Jacob. It’s clear he understands that style and joy are synonymous. 

“Fashion goes with everything in life, because we’re human beings and we have to get dressed,” he told Rolling Stone. “People have a sixth sense when it comes to fashion, and I think it compliments the music – especially when it comes to music videos.”

Cardi B knows how to command attention — but it’s her commitment to a diverse array of creatives that has us cheering. Yes, she’s been dressed in the buzziest names for carpets in 2023 — Dilara Findikoğlu at the MTV Video Music Awards and Robert Wun for the Oscars Vanity Fair carpet — but it’s worth noting that her release of “Bongos” last September was a true celebration of independent designers: Harris Reed, Ren Haixi, the list goes on. “It’s really important for Cardi to always be an example,” her stylist, Kollin Carter, told WWD. “We always make it a point to support emerging designers whose lines are just as good.” It’s this championing that scores her votes for this list year after year.

Last year, J-Pop band XG put out seven, yes, seven music videos, each stylistically different. It’s a testament to the group’s ability to tear down who they were and remake themselves anew both sonically and stylistically. “From hair to makeup, to nails, they’ve been so experimental with colors and styles, and they’ve definitely been pushing boundaries,” journalist Kristine Kwak says after speaking with the girls last year. You see it in the slow RnB tempos and soft, powdery white getup from the “Winter Without You” video and the futuristic and digitally infused looks from “GRL GVNG.” There’s something here for everyone.

From bubblegum pink performance wear by Vaquera to custom Gucci sets, there really isn’t any one aesthetic English DJ and singer Shygirl has been confined to.

“I remember a conversation with Shy very early on in our collaboration,” says stylist Nell Kalonji. “She said something along the lines of ‘…people want to put me in a box and have a hard time imagining me in any other way so I will show them that I can occupy any space I want.’” 

Her approach to music and style are similar — which you both see and hear in her music video for “thicc,” in which she sports a Marine Serre patchwork jumpsuit and vibrant David Koma fur. It’s no wonder listeners have become obsessed; Shygirl knows exactly who she is.

Erykah Badu’s style is one all her own. “In a world where every music artist has a stylist who curates their looks for their every move, Erykah Badu is a refreshing change of pace,” designer and creative director Chris Habana tells Rolling Stone. 

The artist’s latest tour is a testament to that. Through layers of cascading rainbow threads by Angel Chen, jewels by L’Enchanteur, and her signature topper chapeau by Thom O’Brien, Badu cements her status as a style icon. “You can clearly see that she styles herself and embodies what she is wearing,” Habana adds, noting that the key to Badu’s eclecticism is partly her love for independent designers. There’s a magic radiating from her style at a time when we could all use a bit of magic.

The Stray Kids — Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N — have mastered the power of refined yet bold staples. As seen in their music video for “Topline,” a shearling coat here, a graphic tee there, and perhaps a Miu Miu cowboy hat to finish off the look is all it takes to master style.

Just like their music, Lil Uzi Vert’s style is both effortless and bold. “They do whatever they want, whenever they feel like it,” explains designer Gerrit Jacob. “Whether that’s turning up to the red carpet in PJs or wearing pink on one of 2023’s most important album covers,” a choice still radical due to its cultural association with the playful and naive. It’s that level of nonchalant fearlessness that found the artist piercing their forehead with a $24M pink diamond back in 2021 and showcasing their tongue tattoo last year. We can’t wait to see what comes next.

Last summer, Troye Sivan released “Rush,” a sensual, fashionable, and carefree display of what getting lost in music should look like. “The atmosphere is sort of a sexy, hot, never-ending party; Day becomes night, night becomes day,” costume designer and stylist Larissa Bechtold tells Rolling Stone. “It has this Berlin flavor, a deep authentic view of liberation that other cities don’t quite have.” Tight tanks grip every shape of body, thongs and boxers go exposed under sagging sweats and skirts, and Sivan remains at ease in his Calvins and leather chaps. As Bechtold explains, “There’s a true comfort there. You can be who you want to be, wear what you want to wear, and feel authentic in it.” Surely this will be the motto for 2024.

Danielle Balbuena, aka 070 Shake, keeps it simple with her mostly head-to-toe black ensembles. However her nact for subtle historical referencing is unmatched. During Coachella, she debuted a sequined hussar military jacket, calling to mind Michael Jackson’s pieces, and later at Gov Ball, she showcased a bullet belt, recalling Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, with leather jacket and black jeans making it feel both chic and obtainable. It’s easy to imagine copping her style, and the niche references ignite the magic that grants her fan approval.

“We don’t follow trends …” Mark Lee of the boyband NCT told Rolling Stone. “We make the trends.” Case in point: Their much-anticipated Golden Age album with a track titled “Baggy Jeans,” which not only spiraled into a flurry of fans learning the choreography but doing so in, you guessed it, baggy jeans. 

With more than 28 million followers across Instagram and Twitter, this group has an audience ready to be inspired by each and every look.

One of the biggest fashion stories of the last year was Pharrell Williams’s appointment to Creative Director at Louis Vuitton Men’s. He’s been a style leader for years — but what would he do at the helm of one of the most prestigious fashion houses in the world? We finally got our answer with his debut Fall 2024 collection, which was done in collaboration with Dakota and Lakota nation artists, depicting Western native culture infused with the legacy of Black cowboys.

“I’m not a fashion designer,” Pharrell Williams told Vogue about his new role. “There are many types of creative directors. I am one that’s much more like a conductor … My job is to galvanize. What we can’t do as people of color is try to find a seat at the table where we may or may not be welcome. There’s room under the sun for everyone, why don’t we build our own tables?”

Launching with a statement about inclusion and equity has our attention and we’re excited to see what’s next.

There is only one Madonna. From her debut of the cone bra by Jean Paul Gaultier in 1990, the “Boy Toy” belt and the bustier wedding dress she wore while performing “Like A Virgin” at the 1984 VMAs, and even her “Lucky Star” music video, which would become the blueprint for how we interpret the ’80s — Madonna has changed fashion for decades now. 

For The Celebration Tour, costume designers Eyob Yohannes and Rita Melssen captured Madonna’s timelessness. “Fashion has always been a part of her storytelling,” Yohannes told Vogue, “so we drew from her past stylistically, and we kept those themes within the costumes.” A tailcoat jacket by Turkish-British designer Findikoğlu nods to a look from her 1985 Japan TV promo, slip dresses and lingerie remind us of her years of provocation, and new custom pieces like the metallic Versace jumpsuit push us into a future where her looks still reign supreme. “She is involved in every single process of the costume design,” Yohannes added. “She looks at all the fabrics, sketches, and buttons. She cares about who the characters are and the clothes telling that story.”

Dua Lipa’s style calls for attention without being tryhard. It’s elegant yet down-to-earth and maintains an air of subtly. In the music video for “Houdini,” she’s wrapped in a mesh top and joggers as sweaty backup dancers mimic her every move, surrounded in admiration. In the release of “Dance The Night,” she dons pieces from her 2023 Versace collab — a baby pink halter and metallic blue skirt — with her hair slicked back in a neat bun and thigh-high boots. 

“I have always been inspired by a collaborative design process,” Donatella Versace told press in a statement after the release of the collection. “Working with Dua on this collection has been very exciting, and I love the dynamic between us. Dua is strong, fearless, and free, and her creative vision is exceptional.” There’s an art to maintaining control while displaying such zeal, which Lipa excels in with her music and personal style.

“I want to make sure that I do everything so that the next girl feels comfortable doing everything,” Doechii said after her Coachella performance last year. The “What It Is (Block Boy)” music video is a style testament to that, as the rapper shifts between suiting, mob wife furs, and domineering leathers. And at the 2023 VMAs, she wore a mismatched assortment of Dsquared2 selections, including a custom crystal mesh gown, trucker hat, and arm warmers. “Trucker hat, chill but with a gown, diamonds, and preppy,” she says of those looks, “I don’t know, it’s just so me.”

Doechii’s message is clear: Authenticity is key.

“I’m wearing this gown by Olivier Theyskens, Fall/Winter 1998, his first collection,” Caroline Polachek told Rolling Stone at the Grammys just a few weeks back. “… a collection that has entered the pantheon of perfect fashion in my mind.” It’s her fashion knowledge and attention to detail like this that make the singer a style connoisseur. Even her live performances last year featured an assortment of looks, vastly different from one another, like characters each with their own energy and attitude. From an edgy ensemble by British label KNWLS and matching tonal hair for the Kilby Block Party festival in Salt Lake City, to her version of the balletcore aesthetic during a performance at London’s Eventim Apollo, she manages to master it all.

Bad Bunny’s hit “Monaco” opens with a sample from the 1964 French Chanson single “Hier encore,” composed by Charles Aznavour. The sample and hit became a TikTok fad as millions overlay the track to OOTDs (Outfits of the Day) and streetwear ensembles. Bad Bunny oozes style so it makes sense he became the soundtrack for personal fashion.

One thing that makes Bad Bunny so fun to watch is his willingness to take risks — like in the videos for “BATICANO,” in which he’s made up like a chic vampire, stalking around in Saint Laurent, and “NO ME QUIERO CASAR,” which opens to him in a suit and tie, polished oxfords, and a bathrobe. There’s a layer of humor in each outfit, which makes it hard to look away.

When we finally get a glimpse of Kelela in her video for “Closure,” she’s isolated in a pod, eyes pitch black as her blond hair drops to the floor. The look is quiet, reserved, and minimal, showcasing only a cropped white T-shirt and underwear. It’s the perfect example of how she makes even soft, simplistic style feel commanding.

“I’ve always loved playing with both the femme and masculine sides of myself,” she told Vogue last year about her style, “which makes me feel pretty comfortable in a lot of things.” This duality is clear in the visuals for the opening track of Raven, a much-anticipated follow-up to her 2017 Take Me Apart. “Washed Away” opens to a scene of Kelela in a desert, outfitted in a deconstructed dress as she removes a tendril headpiece. The wasteland frames her softer, futuristic look.

After her hiatus between music, we’re now seeing her pose for Ferragamo ads, and sporting the same understated style front-row at the most exclusive shows. Her stylistic restraint is hard to pull off, but Kelela does it effortlessly.

Alexandra Drewchin, the experimental musician better known as Eartheater, treats fashion and beauty as art. Just look at the baby pink harnesses and lace jumpsuit she wears in the video for the haunting and heart-pounding single “Pure Smile Snake Venom” — the look was a collaboration with visual artist Anna Uddenberg.

“I wanted Eartheater to become the sculpture, and in collaboration with the artist [Uddenberg], we made it happen,” says stylist and frequent collaborator Billy Lobos. “This idea was passed on to Daniel Sannwald, the director of the music video, and it was just a magical moment working with them to see it all happen.” The result is like nothing else out there.

Yves Tumor’s approach to style is raw, emotional, and fearless. In the opening video to their rock album, Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds), they thrash in leather studded cuffs and jockstrap. It’s not a look for the faint of heart, but they rock it with a free spirit, which perfectly sums up their refreshing role in fashion right now.

Arca isn’t someone you can pinpoint stylistically, as she oscillates between glamour and the bizarre. One moment, she’s stalking the Mugler runway, snatching bags from front-row guest JT of the City Girls; the next, she’s transforming for her Mutant;Destrudo show at the Park Avenue Armory, covered in prosthetics and body-altering tech from a futuristic era.

“We would talk about what we find beautiful,” she says of collaborations with artist Carlos Sáez. In this case, a pair of laser wings decorating her back. “A creative act is a reconciliation of how deeply or softly or delicately one feels something to be and trying to express it through a show, because it’s a show after all — there’s smoke and light and lasers.”

There is no one like Arca when it comes to developing a futuristic world of fashion and music, which makes her approach to style one for the ages.

“How my demons look?” Doja Cat asks in her video for new song “Demons.” As she grins sinisterly, rows of diamonds glare back from a pair of custom grillz designed by New York jeweler Gabby Elan. “It took a long time to develop those,” Elan tells Rolling Stone. “It’s not like they sit how normal teeth do. They all had to align perfectly like a puzzle when closed.” 

By now, the daring artist has proven she can make a point with her style. You might recall the visceral look she wore for Schiaparelli’s Spring Couture show, consisting of 30,000 individually placed red crystals, or her blood-soaked look in the “Paint The Town Red” music video which later doubled as her Scarlet album promo. 

“I think she’s very innovative and cool. She kind of epitomizes the industry today,” Elan says. “Whether you want a rapper, a pop star, a fashion icon, or something grungy, she just embodies everything. She’s on top of her game.”

The Renaissance tour was a masterful production set across 39 cities and 17 countries — and the fashion was unprecedented, from the runway to archival and custom to couture. One of the boldest looks of the tour was a perfectly fitted flesh-toned and glimmering catsuit with strategically placed black-gloved hands wrapped around it — even The New York Times called the look from Spanish house Loewe “instantly iconic.” 

Along with the big-name brands, the tour introduced independent designers like Arturo Obegero, PatBO, Tongoro, Amina Muaddi, Chrishabana, and Frolov. They call her “Queen Bey” because only style royalty could pull off something of this magnitude.

“Lo que quiero lo tengo,” Rosalía opens with her single “TUYA,” a soft and delicate collection of simple chords and beats. Thanks to her tenacity, she does have it all. Rosalía has become one of the most prominent figures both in music and culture, and her gravitational force pulls even the unwilling into her orbit. The fashion industry is no exception.

Acne Studios crafted 128 looks for her Coachella performance earlier last year, and the accompanying video for “TUYA” saw a blur of delectable brands, like Marni, Vivienne Westwood, Maison Margiela, and Courrèges.

“Japan makes me want to move slowly, delicately,” Rosalía says of the details in the video. “I admire the dedication they put into the little things — it inspires me with everything. The looks represent the playfulness from that moment, and also are part of the visual context of Tuya, where sensuality plays an important role.”

Rosalía does not need to prove herself. She simply exists, and the trends follow.