Top 10 Most Overrated Music Artists of 2021

The Top Ten

Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She first gained recognition for her roles as Paige Olvera on the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark and Nini Salazar-Roberts on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.... read more

She has a really good singing voice, but her songs sound about as bland as any other pop song on the Billboard Hot 100. Maybe she should talk with the producers about that. She's a newcomer, but that won't stop me from criticizing how basic and unoriginal "Driver's License" is. I can play that song easily on the piano without sheet music because it's slow-tempo and kind of boring.

Olivia Rodrigo is kind of like a new version of Taylor Swift but goes into less detail in her songs about why the guy who broke her heart made her feel upset. I don't hate her, considering how she just started with her first album and she does have talent.
However, I think "Drivers License" and "Good 4 U" are a bit overplayed and not that great, especially since "Good 4 U" kind of sounds like another "Misery Business" by Paramore, but less exciting.
Cardi B

Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar (born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actress. She was born and raised in New York City and first gained attention through Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to 2017, she appeared as a cast member on the VH1 reality... read more

I do not understand why she gets so much praise. She has a really annoying voice and can't rap. I would rather listen to nails on a chalkboard than her voice.

Her music only sounds good when you're drunk, stoned, or cross-faded at a party and you don't care about the lyrics. I say this because the lyrics in her songs are always about the same thing: being a "bad bitch," using her sex appeal to repeat songs about getting laid, and making generic statements about how much material wealth she has.
BTS

BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member South Korean boy band formed in Seoul in 2010 that debuted in 2013. The group includes leader RM and members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. They have gained international fame for their music, performances, and social impact.

Honestly, I think BTS should've never become that mainstream. Their music recently has become annoying and painful to listen to. I am not really into K-pop music to begin with, but BTS has become less appealing to me and is making more boring and uninteresting mainstream hits, which has turned me away from them even more.

I can't stand this boy band. Their song Butter is not that good. This is just another generic BTS song.

They don't deserve all the records they broke.
Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa (born August 22, 1995) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international success. She was born in Westminster, London, to Albanian parents originally from Kosovo. Her debut self‑titled album was released in 2017 and earned her multiple awards, including a Grammy for Best New... read more
Lil Nas X

Montero Lamar Hill, born April 9, 1999, is better known by his stage name Lil Nas X. He is an American singer and rapper who gained widespread fame with his hit single "Old Town Road." The song was certified diamond and remained at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 19 weeks.

He's good, but not great. He's just really overrated because everybody acts like he's the future of rap music, which he isn't. Most of the time, it's not even rap music. It's more like pop music with hip-hop elements mixed in, and sometimes with other genres such as country (Old Town Road, the song that boosted him to popularity).
I'm not gonna hate on him, though. The only reason he's hated is because the Christian Right is triggered by the Montero X (Call Me by Your Name) music video and the fact that he's gay, which shouldn't even be an issue in 2021.

I feel like I'm one of the few people who doesn't really like Lil Nas X, nor do I understand why he's getting a lot of praise recently.
For some reason, his songs don't really do anything for me, and I just don't get the hype. His music is just average pop rap songs that are quite overplayed. He is one of the better mainstream rappers out there though.
Doja Cat

Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini, known professionally as Doja Cat, is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter from Los Angeles. She is known for her songs "Mooo!", "Juicy", and "Say So", the latter of which reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Doja Cat has since released multiple chart-topping albums... read more

I don't really like Doja Cat's music, to be honest. I find it quite tacky, somewhat annoying, and bland. I am not a fan of her vocals either. Plus, a few of her songs have become overplayed recently, considering how her songs got popular mostly through TikTok.
Overall, I just generally don't understand the appeal of Doja Cat. It's just boring pop-rap music with a bland trap beat, lackluster lyrics, and annoying vocals.

Overrated for me. I only like Say So and Kiss Me More. The rest are just another bland trap beat.
Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Jovon Ruth Pete was born on February 15, 1995, in Houston, Texas. She is known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion and has become a prominent American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Her breakthrough came with viral hits such as Hot Girl Summer and Savage, which have earned her multiple awards... read more
Drake

Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor from Toronto. He first gained public attention as an actor on the Canadian series Degrassi: The Next Generation before launching a music career. Drake's become one of the world's best-selling... read more

I can't stand this guy. He's trying to get relevant by making forgettable bland trap beats.
Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande‑Butera (born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four‑octave vocal range has earned widespread critical praise, and her personal life continues to attract significant media attention. She has received numerous honors, including two Grammy Awards, a Brit Award... read more

How can people like this self-centered piece of crap but not Meghan Trainor? Meghan is a much better person than Ari!
Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell, professionally known as Billie Eilish, was born on December 18, 2001. She is an American singer and songwriter widely recognized for her unique style and musical innovation. Her most well-known songs include "Bad Guy," "When the Party's Over," "Bury a Friend," "Everything... read more

Definitely overrated. All her songs are depressing. The only people that listen to her are emo kids, people who want to seem like they're depressed, and "quirky" people.

The Newcomers

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Harry Styles

Harry Edward Styles is an English singer and songwriter. He initially gained fame as a member of the boy band One Direction. He has since launched a successful solo career with the albums Harry Styles, Fine Line, Harry's House, and Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, producing global hits such as... read more
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Nicki Minaj

Onika Tanya Maraj, known professionally as Nicki Minaj (born December 8, 1982), is a Trinidadian-American rapper and pop artist. She is widely recognized for hits like "Anaconda," "Super Bass," "Starships," and her feature on "Bang Bang."... read more

The Contenders

Ed Sheeran

Edward Christopher "Ed" Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was born on February 17, 1991, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk. He's known for hit songs such as "The A Team" (2011) and "Shape of You" (2017).... read more

I am pretty sure that lots of people are sick and tired of seeing this guy on the charts and how overexposed he is. I don't hate Ed Sheeran, and I think he is a talented musician who has some good songs. I like some of his songs from his first album, such as "Lego House," "The A Team," and "Drunk."
However, I am tired of him constantly making chart-topping songs that are just boring and overplayed mainstream pop following overused trends. Plus, I really don't like "Shivers" or "Bad Habits." I find these two songs incredibly annoying, overplayed, and uninteresting, along with having a bland EDM beat.

Ed Sheeran is the most overrated music artist of 2021! His song Bad Habits gets played on the radio too much!
K. S. Chithra

Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra, often credited as K. S. Chithra or simply Chithra, is an Indian playback singer from Kerala. She also sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music. Chithra has recorded over 25,000 songs in various languages and is a recipient of six National Film Awards.

Overrated or not, she's a great singer regardless. She is most definitely the nightingale of India. We cannot deny it.
Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania. She developed a strong interest in country music around the age of nine after watching a documentary about Faith Hill. Swift moved to Nashville as a teenager, signed a development deal with RCA Records... read more
Justin Bieber

Justin Drew Bieber (born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He currently resides in Ontario, Canada, and is Christian. He is the son of Pattie Mallette, an author.
Justin Bieber is best known for his songs "Baby" and "What Do You Mean?" As of mid 2025, 11 of... read more

I hate him as a person and artist. His songs are the definition of trashy pop for teenage girls and gay boys.
Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey is a California-based singer and songwriter who currently lives in Malibu, California. She was born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant on June 21, 1985, in Manhattan, New York, to Robert England Grant Jr. and Patricia Ann Hill. She was raised in Lake Placid and has two younger siblings, Caroline... read more

Didn't know she was still relevant, but she's basically one of those artists that steals other songs or copycats the vibe of other songs. I'm surprised she hasn't been sued for copyright violations.
Bruno Mars

Peter Gene Hernandez, professionally known as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and choreographer... read more
Adele

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, born May 5, 1988, is an English singer and songwriter. She graduated from the BRIT School in 2006 and signed with XL Recordings after a demo posted on Myspace gained attention. She's best known for emotional ballads like Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You, Hello, and Easy... read more
Selena Gomez

Selena Marie Gomez is an American actress and singer. She's best known for her hit songs "Come & Get It," "Good for You," "Same Old Love," and "It Ain't Me," as well as her starring role as Alex Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place. Her music has explored different styles, including electropop and Latin... read more

Can't sing. Nada. Not even a little bit.
Lizzo

Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known professionally as Lizzo, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actress. She was born in Detroit, Michigan, moved to Houston as a child, and later began her recording career in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lizzo became widely known for hit songs such as "Truth Hurts... read more
YoungBoy Never Broke Again

Dude is the most overrated singer, not just rapper. He sounds the same in every song, with boring beats made in 5 minutes, awful autotune, and offbeat rhythms. When he tries to sing, he gets so whiny and sounds like he's been punished as a little kid.
All his albums are boring and mind-numbing, but sitting through pre-made songs while he was in jail with his latest album was awful. It was easily his worst and probably worse than some albums from 2021 alone. Screw this guy and his annoying fans always saying "YB better" and thinking he's the best rapper when they haven't listened to actual good lyrical rap. I'm done with this clown.
Jason Derulo

Jason Joel Desrouleaux, known professionally as Jason Derulo, is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. He rose to fame with his debut single "Whatcha Say," which was released in 2009 and went triple platinum. Other hit singles include "Ridin' Solo," "In My Head," "Wiggle," "Talk Dirty," "Trumpets,"... read more
Demi Lovato

Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series Barney & Friends as a child, she received her breakthrough role as Mitchie Torres in the Disney Channel television film Camp Rock and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam... read more
Travis Scott

Jacques Webster Jr., better known by his stage name Travis Scott, is an American hip hop recording artist, record producer, and musician from Houston, Texas. He has released several chart-topping albums and is known for his high-energy performances and innovative production style. He has collaborated... read more
Anderson .Paak
Normani Hamilton

Normani Kordei Hamilton (born May 31, 1996), known mononymously as Normani, is an American singer and dancer best known as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony. She gained attention for her soulful cover renditions of songs such as Drake's "Fake Love" and Tory Lanez's "Say It." In February 2018,... read more