The Should-Be-Bigger Bracket: See Which Artist Won It All

Billboard Staff
·1 min read

It’s been four rounds and 30 matchups so far in Billboard‘s Should-Be-Bigger Bracket, our 32-artist, tournament-style competition to determine which would-be star is currently the most underappreciated in the pop mainstream.

We’ve seen some twists and turns so far — Tove Lo losing in the first round, Hey Violet making an incredible run to the Final Four, arguable pre-tourney favorite Carly Rae Jepsen unexpectedly going down in the Elite Eight — as our editorial team has voted for a winner in each of the head-to-head battles. But for the finals, we left the decision in your hands, allowing you guys to vote for the overall victor in our tournament’s finals: Charli XCX vs. Vince Staples.

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And after three days of voting, your decision has been made clear. The winner of Billboard‘s first-ever Should-Be-Bigger Bracket is…

…Charli XCX.

Yes, after fighting her way through Shura, Lizzo, Sky Ferreira and Tinashe, Charli triumphed over West Coast rapper Vince Staples to take home the ultimate trophy. The game wasn’t a particularly close one — Charli commanded over 80% of the total overall vote — so let’s hope the NCAA final between Gonzaga and North Carolina on Monday night (Apr. 3) packs a little more suspense.

In the meantime, thanks to everyone who voted and followed the Should-Be-Bigger Bracket this March, and let’s hope by this time next year, Charli XCX has the same love and support across the mainstream as she does from the edit staff and readers of Billboard.

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