British dance group Clean Bandit found crossover success by weaving classical music with dance-pop for a beat-driven yet refined sound -- often delivered with high-profile guest vocalists. After scoring their first hit with the multi-platinum international sensation "Rather Be," featuring Jess Glynne (from 2014's New Eyes), they issued a string of U.K. chart-toppers that proved successful around the world, including "Rockabye" with Sean Paul and Anne-Marie, "Symphony" with Zara Larsson, and "Solo" with Demi Lovato, all of which were included on 2018's What Is Love? They again reached the U.K. Top Ten with 2020's "Tick Tock" featuring 24kGoldn before releasing 2021's "Higher" with Iann Dior.

Founded in 2008 by schoolmates Grace Chatto (cello, percussion, and vocals), Jack Patterson (bass, keys, piano, and vocals), Luke Patterson (drums), and Neil Amin-Smith (violin and piano), they were originally dubbed the Chatto Quartet when they performed around their university. The classically trained string quartet performed J.S. Bach and cited Jacqueline du Pré as an influence, but their post-show, wind-down music often consisted of garage, 2-step, Craig David, and Arcade Fire tracks. The quartet members were aware of both producer Jon Wandeck and MC Ssegamic through the duo's photographic work, and when Wandeck suggested they play on one of his house music cuts, Clean Bandit were born. With MC Ssegamic on the mike, they released the genre-mashing "Telephone Banking" in the summer of 2011. Their Dance Armstrong mixtape followed in 2012, while 2013 saw the release of the Mozart's House EP. The "Mozart House" track also landed on their album New Eyes, which was released by major-label Atlantic in 2014.

While early singles "A+E" and "Dust Clears" were modest chart successes in the U.K., it wasn't until the release of New Eyes' fourth single -- the Jess Glynne-featuring "Rather Be" -- that Clean Bandit truly entered the international mainstream. The multi-platinum song became the second best-selling track in the U.K. in 2014 and won a Grammy for Best Dance Recording in 2015. The success of "Rather Be" helped the group ride New Eyes into 2016, yielding an additional pair of singles that kept Clean Bandit on the U.K. charts.

In late 2016, Amin-Smith parted ways with the band, days before they released the single "Rockabye," featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie on vocals. The track became their second U.K. number one and broke into the Billboard Top Ten, later receiving platinum certification throughout Europe and in the U.S. and Australia. Clean Bandit followed with another chart-topping collaboration, "Symphony" with Zara Larsson, and the Top Five single "I Miss You" with Julia Michaels. In 2018, the trio secured their fourth hit with the summer single "Solo," featuring Demi Lovato. "Baby" with Marina and the Diamonds and Luis Fonsi arrived shortly before the release of the group's sophomore full-length, What Is Love? In addition to the previously released hit singles, the album also included appearances by Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora, OutKast's Big Boi, Craig David, and many more. A 2020 collaboration with rapper 24kGoldn yielded the Top Ten U.K. single "Tick Tock." More tracks arrived in 2021, including "Higher" with Iann Dior and "Drive" with Topic and Wes Nelson. ~ David Jeffries & Neil Z. Yeung

Swedish hitmaking singer/songwriter Zara Larsson crafts R&B- and club-influenced dance-pop influenced by artists like Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Robyn. After winning a Swedish singing competition at the age of eight, Larsson crashed the mainstream in the mid-2010s with a string of Swedish number ones like "Lush Life" and "Never Forget You," which were certified multi-platinum around the world. Those tracks landed on her 2017 chart-topping, multi-platinum breakthrough So Good, a Top Ten hit across Europe and Australasia. Her third album, Poster Girl, arrived in 2021 and again brought her to the Top Ten in Sweden with the hit "Ruin My Life." In 2023, she cracked the top 30 of the Pop 100 with the '80s-influenced "Can't Tame Her" from 2024's Venus.

Born in the Stockholm suburb of Solna, Larsson first caught the public's eyes and ears in 2008 as the winner of the popular Swedish talent show Talang Sverige (the regional version of Got Talent). Following the success of the show, she inked a deal with Ten Music Group and issued her debut EP, Introducing, which featured the hit single "Uncover" in 2013. The song was certified triple platinum in her home country, and after another EP, Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself, Larsson began work on her official debut long-player. The resulting 1 arrived in 2014 via Record Company Ten and Universal Music. Three additional singles reached the Swedish Top Ten: "She's Not Me," "Carry You Home," and "Rooftop."

A pair of 2015 singles proved to be Larsson's international breakthrough. First, the multi-platinum smash hit "Lush Life" reached the Top Ten across Europe, then "Never Forget You" (featuring MNEK) hit the Top Ten in Great Britain and went platinum in the United States. Those tracks would eventually appear on her sophomore LP. Before the release of that album, she collaborated with Tinie Tempah on "Girls Like" and David Guetta for the 2016 UEFA Euro Cup theme "This One's for You." By the time So Good was released in early 2017, four additional singles had been issued, including the Charlie Puth-penned "So Good" with Ty Dolla $ign, "Symphony" with Clean Bandit, and the MNEK-produced "Ain't My Fault." The set debuted atop the charts in Sweden and marked her chart debut across the world, including in the U.S., where it reached the Top 30.

The following year, Larsson released the platinum-certified single "Ruin My Life" -- the first offering from what would become her third album -- and entered 2019 with "Don't Worry Bout Me," "All the Time," and "Wow." She also collaborated with K-pop superstars BTS on "A Brand New Day," provided "Invisible," the theme song for the animated film Klaus, and teamed with Tyga and Kygo for the latter's tropical club anthem "Like It Is," which became a Top Five hit in Sweden, New Zealand, and Norway. Later that year, she released "Love Me Land," the official lead single from her third album, 2021's Poster Girl. Collecting singles from as early as 2018 ("Ruin My Life"), the R&B-influenced pop set also included "Talk About Love" with Young Thug. Poster Girl hit number three in Sweden, 11 in Norway, and cracked the Billboard 200. She promoted the album into the next year, when she teamed up with Alesso for the European hit "Words."

Larsson returned in early 2023 with the '80s-influenced "Can't Tame Her," co-written with MNEK and MTHR and released on her own record label, Sommer House. It hit number 28 on the Pop 100. A collaboration with David Guetta, "On My Love," became a chart-topping hit in Sweden. She closed the year with the release of the holiday EP, Honor the Light, a six-track effort that included the track "Memory Lane." After a year of single releases, Larsson's fourth studio album finally arrived in February 2024. Venus included her MNEK and Guetta collaborations, as well as "You Love Who You Love" and "End of Time." ~ Neil Z. Yeung & James Christopher Monger