If you’ve never been to Canada, it’s a worthy visit. With a diverse population of 35 million people, the languages, food, friendly spirit and overall culture is infectious. We have a particular love of Toronto, which is just a one-hour flight from New York City but boasts gems like the cozy seasonal restaurant Edulis, the beautiful Art Gallery of Ontario and mysterious Casa Loma castle.
But back to the people. We got to give it up to the North American country for suppling incredibly talented artists who have made music we listen to on a regular basis.
Check who made our favorites’ list, below.
01
Jessie Reyez
The 26-year-old is new but has already made waves from her debut EP, ‘Kiddo’. The Colombian-Canadian plays guitar and has a raspy, soulful voice.
02
Majid Jordan
OVO Sound group is Majid Jordan composed of Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman who met as students at the University of Toronto. Their biggest hits as an R&B duo have been “One I Want” and “Something About You.”
03
Keshia Chante
While some may know her from ‘106 & Park’ where she was a co-host alongside Bow Wow, this Canadian songstress has a singing career as well. Her biggest pop hits were “Set U Free” and “Does He Love Me.”
04
Melanie Fiona
Raised to Guyanese parents, this Toronto native has a strong set of vocal pipes. Our favorite songs from this former Roc Nation signee include “You Stop My Heart”, “It Kills Me” and “Give It To Me Right.”
05
Glenn Lewis
Part Trinidadian and part Jamaican, Glenn Lewis was born and raised in Toronto. At the height of his career, he gave us neo-soul hits such as “Don’t You Forget It” and “Fall Again.”
06
Tamia
With one of the strongest voices in R&B, Canada has a lot to be proud of with Tamia. The Grammy-nominated singer and wife of former basketball player, Grant Hill, gave us classic songs such as “I’m So Into You”, “Can’t Get Enough” and “Officially Missing You.”
07
The Weeknd
This Grammy award-winning singer was born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye to Ethiopian parents in Toronto. His biggest and most infectious hits are “Can’t Feel My Face”, “Starboy” and “I Feel It Coming.”
08
DVSN
Young talents Daniel Daley and Nineteen85 make the group DVSN (pronounced “division”) and are signed to Drake’s OVO Sound label. Already on their sophomore album, they’re most known for their songs “Hallucinations” and “Morning After.”
09
Drake
As Toronto’s unofficial ambassador, you can’t think of Canada without thinking of this rapper. Aside from being a proud Canadian, Drake has created a lane for nuevo R&B and hip-hop to exists. A few of his major hits over the years include “One Dance”, “Hotline Bling”, “Headlines” and “Energy.”
10
Kardinal Offishall
Known as Canada’s unofficial hip-hop ambassador, this proud Jamaican-Canadian artist put the country on the map for rap in the early 1990s. One cannot talk about Toronto without talking about its rich reggae and dancehall music scene, and Kardinal is a perfect representation of the beginnings of this sound with songs like “Dangerous” and “Numba 1.”
11
Deborah Cox
The singer who’s most known for “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here” and “We Can’t Be Friends” is also a phenomenal Broadway actress. The 43-year-old is currently in The Bodyguard musical in the lead role.
