These emerging artists put Knoxville music on the map like never before in 2023

For years, the Knoxville music scene has lived in the shadows of the Music City mecca three hours to its west. And while the Scruffy City has produced some incredible talent over the years – Kenny Chesney, Con Hunley and Brent Smith of Shinedown, to name a few – a new generation of artists with Knoxville ties have put East Tennessee back on the map as a musical incubator to be reckoned with.

While the musical momentum has been building for a few years now, 2023 saw Knoxville natives garnering the respect of national critics and earning major award nominations across multiple genres, from country to experimental rock.

Adeem the Artists leads new conversations in country music

Adeem Bingham, known professionally as Adeem the Artist, has led the charge among Knoxville musicians. Though their critically acclaimed album “White Trash Revelry” was released in December 2022, their success continued to build throughout the following year.

Their carefully crafted songs paint intimate scenes of complex diversity in the American South, with vivid lyrics that touch on issues of gender, religion, race and politics. This collection of 11 songs caught the attention of artists like Jason Isbell and Brandi Carlile, the latter a queer country musician herself, and brought new energy to the changing conversation surrounding Southern music and culture.

Adeem the Artist is an emerging flagbearer for that movement, which recently has seen Confederate imagery banned and LGBTQ voices explicitly welcomed at major country music events.

This success earned Adeem the Artist opportunities to play at the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and to open for such artists as Isbell, the Mountain Goats and American Aquarium. They also were nominated for Emerging Act of the Year at the Americana Honors & Awards.

Adeem the Artist also made headlines in 2023 with their blunt parody of Jason Aldean’s controversial “Try That In A Small Town.”

Yves Tumor builds on widespread critical acclaim

Though Yves Tumor doesn’t typically claim Knoxville, the experimental producer and emerging rock star is one of the top artists to come out of the Scruffy City in recent years. Knox News first wrote about Yves Tumor in April 2020, shortly after The Guardian labeled them a “rare genius” in its praise of “Heaven to a Tortured Mind.”

Yves Tumor returned home in 2022 with an electric set to close out Big Ears Festival after canceling their performance in 2019. Since then, they have released their long-winded fifth album: “Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds).”

Like their previous albums, this 2023 release was quick to receive praise from some of the world’s top critics. The Guardian again gave a rating of 4-out-of-5 stars, while Pitchfork’s 8.4 rating gave the album its “best new music” certification.

“The art-rock auteur’s latest album is a glistening, richly detailed world that feels like a culmination of their ever-escalating talent and ambition,” reads Pitchfork's review, which likens Yves Tumor to Prince.

Kelsea Ballerini continues to shine in Nashville

While it was great to see Kelsea Ballerini shine in the spotlight during her homecoming concert in Knoxville, her reach beyond East Tennessee in 2023 was even more exciting.

Just six days after her first headlining arena show at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center − which felt like a long time coming − Ballerini took the stage at the CMA Awards and captivated audiences with her raw performance of "Leave Me Again."

That same night, she was nominated for album of the year and female vocalist of the year. That's on top of other award nominations, including for best country album at the Grammy Awards taking place Feb. 4.

On top of all this mainstream success, Ballerini continues to do the little things that make Knoxville proud, including giving tickets to Central High School students for the homecoming show.

Captain earns opportunity to open for Lil Wayne

You won’t hear him on the radio quite yet but, at a time when success is often measured by stream counts, Knoxville-based Caston Holt has experienced impressive growth this year.

Hailing from East Knoxville, the rapper known as Captain released multiple singles in 2023. That includes “Shallow,” with an album cover picturing the Gay Street Bridge and with a Spotify stream count over 100,000.

Having already opened for artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Kevin Gates, the 24-year-old helped kick off Lil Wayne’s Nov. 16 concert at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.

"I just love it, it's my passion," he told Knox News ahead of the show. "That's my goal, being able to provide for myself by doing my music, and eventually see where it goes. This opportunity is just major. I'm super excited."

Briston Maroney releases follow-up to debut album

Though based now in Nashville, Briston Maroney is among the artists Knoxville is more than happy to claim. A native of the Scruffy City and a former downtown busker, Maroney released “Ultrapure” in 2023, a follow-up to his debut studio album “Sunflower” from two years prior.

Success continues to follow Maroney, who brought back his newly formed festival, Paradise, for the second consecutive year in 2023. The festival took over the Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville for three days, hosting three Briston Maroney sets and performances by Samia, Hovvdy and Charlie Burg, among others.

Maroney is headlining his own tour in support of “Ultrapure,” which includes a hometown show at The Mill & Mine on Feb. 17.

Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone 865-317-5138. Email ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Instagram @knoxscruff.

Support strong local journalism by subscribing at subscribe.knoxnews.com..

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Adeem the Artist, Yves Tumor and others put Knoxville music on the map