The Breakthrough List: 30 Performers Defining Culture Now

Our inaugural selection of soon-to-be superstars.

The definition of star power has evolved since InStyle's inception in 1994. While Hollywood's A-list still includes Jennifers and Chrises that audiences (and our editors) love to see shine, a new cohort of ultra-talented superstars-in-the-making are redefining the term celebrity, taking full control of their image and circumventing Hollywood's outdated rules about who can and how to achieve success. Between topping the charts (Spotify, Netflix, etc.) and flooding our "For You" feeds, they also advocate for progressive causes and create deeply relatable commentaries on the human experience while lookin' damn good in instantly iconic red carpet looks.

InStyle's first-ever Breakthrough List champions rising actors, musicians, models, and internet personalities who each effortlessly encapsulate that one-in-a-million It factor. Take, for instance, Rachel Sennott, whose comedic range and undeniable charisma (Bodies Bodies Bodies, Shiva Baby) has helped her score an upcoming HBO pilot with a raucous cast. If anyone aside from Charli XCX embodied Brat summer to a T, it's Sennott.

Then there's Peggy Gou. One of the world's most in-demand DJs is ushering in a wave of musicians forging their own paths—Tyla, Victoria Monét, and Benson Boone among them. Chicken Shop Date's Amelia Dimoldenberg and the internet's very own Benito Skinner demonstrate how to tactfully use social media virality to break into other fields and build long-lasting careers.

Ahead, InStyle's carefully vetted selection of 30 ones-to-watch who are bound to make a meaningful, lasting impact in pop culture. While some may already have toehold in Hollywood, all of them are on the cusp of becoming household names. You can now say you were a fan from day one.

Alex Consani

Alex Consani is the fashion icon of tomorrow. At 21, she's already walked the runways of Jean Paul Gaultier, Thom Browne, Givenchy, Burberry, and Coperni (to name only a few), and has starred in campaigns for Marc Jacobs, UGG, Moschino, and Hailey Bieber's Rhode Skin. Last month, she became the first transgender model nominated for Model of the Year at the British Fashion Council's 2024 Fashion Awards, scheduled for December. Yes, Consani is a fast-rising industry favorite, but her likability is also due in large part to the comedic chops she displays on social media, where she regularly uploads silly, self-deprecating, and certainly Gen Z–approved memes and videos bound to go viral.

Amelia Dimoldenberg

In October, Amelia Dimoldenberg will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Chicken Shop Date, the Brit's mega-smash YouTube series in which she welcomes celebrities on a date-like interview at various chicken shops in London. While chowing down and chatting with stars such as Jennifer Lawrence, Cher, Paul Mescal, and Sabrina Carpenter, Dimoldenberg excels at drawing refreshingly real reactions to her deadpan, unfiltered, and often awkward commentary; her segment with Billie Eilish recently went viral because of their obvious sexual tension. Outside of YouTube, Dimoldenberg is fast becoming a fashion darling, wearing the likes of Nina Ricci, Vivienne Westwood, and Roberto Cavalli and sitting front row at Acne Studios and Valentino. But wait, there's more: The host has ambitions to act, direct, and produce content under her Dimz Inc. production company.

Bella Poarch

How to leverage your massive TikTok following? Ask Bella Poarch. With more than 94 million followers on the platform—where she shares a mix of singing videos, 'fit checks, and lifestyle footage—the Filipina American singer-songwriter dominates social media, and has her heart set on pop superstardom. Her 2021 debut single "Build a Bitch," a commentary on beauty standards in the music industry, charted globally and hit Billboard's Hot 100. Next month, she'll drop "Sweet Delusion," the first single off her forthcoming album. It's sure to ignite another deliciously dark and goth-inspired pop era.

Benito Skinner

Best known as Benny Drama on TikTok and Instagram, Benito Skinner has amassed millions of followers who love his intentionally goofy original skits and his dead-on impersonations of Drew Barrymore, Billie Eilish, Shawn Mendes, Kris Jenner, and Kourtney Kardashian, whom he spoofed on The Kardashians. In addition to hosting the Ride podcast with comedian Mary Beth Barone, Skinner will next star in and executive produce Amazon Prime's Overcompensating, his comedy pilot about a closeted former football player; Charli XCX is on board as executive music producer and will create original songs for the series, so you know it'll be a smash.

Benson Boone

The 2024 success of Benson Boon's debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, positions him as one of the music industry's next power players. Boon's double-platinum single "Beautiful Things" was the most-streamed song of the first half of the year, having spent seven weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Global 200 chart and earning more than 2 billion Spotify streams. While headlining his own tour in North America (the U.K., Japan, Australia, and New Zealand are on deck), he also opened for Taylor Swift's Eras tour in London this summer. He continues his synth- and piano-accompanied vocal reign with "Pretty Slowly," his latest single. A former American Idol contestant, the 22-year-old is predicted to be a top contender at the 2025 Grammys. At the 2024 MTV VMAs, he won the award for Best Alternative.

Chappell Roan

Following the 2023 release of her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Chappell Roan has experienced a meteoric rise that undoubtedly establishes her as a main pop girlie for years to come. Roan scored hoards of new fans as one of Olivia Rodrigo's Guts world tour openers, and her summer festival circuit, from Coachella to Bonaroo, showcased her ability to put on a show unlike any other, commanding thousands in campy, drag-inspired outfits that seamlessly complement her Cyndi Lauper-like sound. At Governor's Ball in June, she sported a Statue of Liberty costume to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, and "freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories.” Four of her singles ("Red Wine Supernova," "Hot to Go!", "Pink Pony Club", and "Good Luck, Babe!") reached Billboard's Hot 100. At the 2024 MTV VMAs, Roan brought down the house with a fiery performance of “Good Luck, Babe!” and won the award for Best New Artist. For a taste of her artistry, start with "Femininomenon," a feminist anthem beloved by Gen Z audiences and Kamala Harris's presidential campaign.

Cole Escola

After working as an actor and comedian for nearly two decades, with supporting roles in Search Party, At Home With Amy Sedaris, Hacks, and plenty of highly-shared social media skits, Cole Escola is finally commanding center stage—literally. Escola, who uses they/them pronouns, is the creator and star of the Broadway play "Oh, Mary!," a critically acclaimed, "excellently uncivil," "smartly stupid riot" that The New York Times' Chief Theater Critic argues should have been nominated for a 2024 Tony Award. In it, Escola portrays First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, whom they wrote as an alcoholic, wannabe cabaret star. Off Broadway, they often tap rising designer Jackson Wiederhoeft for red carpet appearances and editorial shoots. At the Met Gala, Escola flaunted their playful sense of style in a Thom Browne skirt-suit with a bridal veil.

Devery Jacobs

Devery Jacobs recognizes the power of her platform. At 31, the actress from Canada's Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory uplifts Indigenous and LGBTQ+ communities not only by proudly speaking about her heritage, but also through the work she chooses to take on. Jacobs is the lead in FX's Emmy-nominated series Reservation Dogs, a coming-of-age tale about Indigenous teens; it's filmed on Muscogee Nation territory in Oklahoma. After starring in Disney+'s Marvel series Echo and the Elliot Page-produced queer cheerleading film Backspot, she'll next appear opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Chlo? Grace Moretz in Amazon MGM's holiday comedy OH. WHAT. FUN.

Drew Starkey

Netflix's Outer Banks has been a springboard for a new generation of actors, including Madelyn Cline (more on her, below). Drew Starkey is one of them. In addition to returning for the hit YA show's fourth season this October, Starkey stars as Daniel Craig's love interest in Queer, director Luca Guadagnino's (Call Me By Your Name, Challengers) 1950s-, Mexico City-set rom-dram with buzzy sex scenes that include Omar Apollo (more on him, below, too). A stylish heartthrob on the rise, Starkey, who has also appeared in Love, Simon and The Hate U Give, is friendly with Jonathan Anderson and has recently made head-turning red carpet appearances in Loewe.

Ella Beatty

A drama graduate of The Juilliard School, Ella Beatty kicked off 2024 on a high note, with a supporting role as Kerry O'Shea (the daughter of Truman Capote's on-again, off-again lover John O'Shea) in Ryan Murphy's Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, alongside industry titans like Demi Moore, Naomi Watts, and Diane Lane. In March, she made her Broadway debut in the Tony-winning Appropriate, opposite Sarah Paulson. Next up, audiences can see Beatty in the A24 film If I Had Legs I'd Kick You with Rose Byrne and A$AP Rocky. And one more thing... she's the daughter of Annette Bening and Warren Beatty, so a career in showbiz is in her DNA.

Emma D’Arcy

Emma D'Arcy is cool as hell. Onscreen, they're best known for fiercely playing Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO's Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon. Also, they have immaculate taste in cocktails. Remember that viral Negroni Sbagliato TikTok? That's them. Blurring the lines between traditionally masculine and feminine style, D'arcy, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, disrupts the sartorial status quo in geometric, structural, and richly textured suiting from Celine, ?anaku, Balmain, and Acne. This fall, they'll star in The Other Place at the National Theatre in London.

Ishaan Khatter

While Americans may have just discovered Ishaan Khatter via his performance as Shooter Dival opposite Nicole Kidman and Liev Shreiber in Netflix's A Perfect Couple, the 28-year-old Indian actor is a Bollywood favorite best known for Majid Majidi's Beyond the Clouds, the romantic drama Dhadak, and the British miniseries A Suitable Boy. Up next, he'll return to Netflix for an Indian rom-com called The Royals. His role? Prince Charming.

James Morosini

If you enjoyed 2022's horror-comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, buckle up for It's What's Inside, a sweat-inducing wild ride about a group of friends (Alycia Debnam-Carey, Brittany O'Grady, Gavin Leatherwood) who naively mess around with a time machine that allows them to swap bodies—but not minds. James Morosini rounds out the cast of the film, a Sundance breakout. He's appeared in American Horror Story, Feud, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Lethal Weapon, but you can also find Morosini, 34, behind the camera; he wrote, directed, and starred in I Love My Dad, a comedy-thriller that earned the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Award and Audience Award at SXSW in 2022. Next, he'll direct and write the psychological horror film Mommy's Home for Lionsgate.

Julio Torres

A line Julio Torres recites in the trailer for his HBO original series, Fantasmas, sums him up perfectly: "I'm Julio, I'm an Aquarius. I got struck by lightning when I was a child, and now I see the world a little differently. And I'm allergic to the color yellow." Though he plays a fictional version of himself in the celebrated six-episode series, Torres and his character share a mutual adoration for whimsy, for surrealist dark comedy that's just plain weird. Born in El Salvador, the former Saturday Night Live writer, Los Espookys creator, and director-filmmaker cast a miraculously odd lineup of supporting actors and guest stars on Fantasmas, including Kim Petras, Julia Fox, Cole Escola, Steve Buscemi, Emma Stone, Tilda Swinton, and Aidy Bryant.

KATSEYE

It's impossible to escape KATSEYE's second single, "Touch," on TikTok. As documented in last month's Netflix reality competition series Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, K-pop mega label HYBE (BTS, TXT, NewJeans) collaborated with Geffen Records to create a global girl group. Twenty-two out of 120,000 pop star hopefuls were invited to participate in a years-long training program; Manon, Daniela, Yoonchae, Lara, Megan, and Sophia had the talent and It factor to make it. KATSEYE's first EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong) has already earned a spot on Billboard's 200 chart. With Humberto Leon as their creative director and front-row appearances at Tory Burch and Coach's Spring/Summer 2025 runway shows, fashion industry domination is next.

Madelyn Cline

Madelyn Cline is strategically building the resume of a movie star. The 26-year-old is best known for her lead role as Sarah Cameron in Netflix's Outer Banks, and she's also exhibited her range in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Boy Erased. Next summer, she'll star in a reboot of the 1997 cult classic I Know What You Did Last Summer. And, as a face of Revlon and friend of Givenchy, Tommy Hilfiger, and Stella McCartney, she's primed to continue slaying one red carpet after another.

Meg Stalter

Like others on this list, Meg Stalter engages new audiences on social media, posting genuinely funny skits and minutes-long vignettes that showcase her acting skills and humorous spirit. (Does "Hi, gay!" ring a bell?) The actress and writer is a series regular on Hacks, and her leading role in this summer's Cora Bora, in which she wryly plays an aspiring musician, proved she's able to delight Gen Z audiences with a signature dry delivery viewers can't get enough of. On the horizon, Stalter will star opposite The White Lotus's Will Sharp in Netflix's Too Much, a romantic comedy co-created by Lena Dunham and her husband, Luis Felber. Too Much's cast includes Emily Ratajkowski, Andrew Rannells, and model Adwoa Aboah.

Mekki Leeper

Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Mekki Leeper has headlined standup shows across the country, and he's also recognized for writing and starring in Prime Video's hilarious reality hoax sitcom, Jury Duty, as well as his supporting role as Eric Miller in Netflix's The Sex Lives of College Girls. In November, he'll keep the laughs coming in NBC's forthcoming mockumentary-style hospital comedy St. Denis Medical.

Mikey Madison

The name Mikey Madison has an exhilarating ring to it. At just 25, the actress, who does not have a social media presence, has already appeared in Hulu's Better Things, Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood, 2022's Scream, and Apple TV+'s Lady in the Lake, opposite Natalie Portman. Her 2024 role as the lead in Anora is a star-turning role, in which she plays a stripper who marries the son of a Russian oligarch; the film, set to release theatrically in October, scored the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Casual.

Moses Sumney

Some fans may have discovered Moses Sumney because of his big-screen acting debut in Ti West's Maxxxine, opposite Mia Goth, or on HBO's The Idol, with Lily Rose-Depp and The Weeknd. But the multi-hyphenate has been in the music game for a decade, with two studio albums under his belt and, most recently, a 2024 EP titled Sophcore. He's performed with Solange and collaborated with artists like James Blake, Flume, and Tessa Thompson. Next, Sumney has an original scripted TV project in development. And when it comes to style, he's (respectfully) in bed with Louis Vuitton, Rabanne, and Mugler.

Naomi Watanabe

Naomi Watanabe's 2008 impersonation of Beyoncé instantly went viral, earning her the nickname "the Japanese Beyoncé." The comedian and actress uses her platform to decry fat-phobia and advocate for size inclusivity in the fashion and entertainment industries. This month, she made a guest appearance in InStyle and Alexis Bittar's "Bittarverse" social media collaboration. With the launch of her Spotify podcast, Naomi Takes America, and her first-ever stand-up show, Stand Up with Naomi Watanabe, slated for October at New York City's Gramercy Theater, Watanabe is warming up to give the American Beyoncé a run for her money.

Nathalie Emmanuel

British actress Nathalie Emmanuel landed her first role at age 10, when she starred in the original London cast of The Lion King as Young Nala. Her breadth of work is wide-ranging, with roles in the Fast & Furious franchise, the Die Hart franchise, Arthur the King, Army of Thieves, Last Train to Christmas, The Killer, and The Invitation, which marked her first leading role in a feature film. Most notably, she played Missandei in Game of Thrones, earning six Emmy nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. She currently stars opposite Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito in Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis, which earned a seven-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.

Omar Apollo

After earning a Best New Artist nomination at the 2023 Grammys for his debut album, Ivory, Omar Apollo made a splash with his 2024 follow-up, God Said No, released soon after opening for SZA's SOS tour and Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever tour in Latin America. The son of Mexican immigrants, Apollo taps his upbringing in rural Indiana and his LGBTQ+ identity to deliver synthy, introspective pop melodies about heartbreak and love. His collaborators are surprising, like Pedro Pascal, who contributes a voice note to the aptly-titled "Pedro." Apollo is the face of Loewe's latest menswear campaign and was the first ambassador for Youth to the People. He appears alongside Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in the LGBTQ+ romance drama Queer.

Peggy Gou

Peggy Gou is one of the world's most in-demand DJs. Born in South Korea and based in Berlin, the 33-year-old musician and producer released her debut album, I Hear You, in June, showcasing her passion for club-ready electronic bangers that include the chart-topping single "(It Goes Like) Nanana" and "I Believe in Love Again," her collaboration with rock icon Lenny Kravitz. Not only has she performed at Coachella, Ultra, and Primavera, the festival favorite is a certified fashion chameleon, most recently scoring a role as global brand ambassador for Maybelline and as a Stone Island campaign star. In addition, she designs and sells streetwear merch under her very own Peggy Goods label.

Rachel Sennott

For her "360" music video, Brat summer architect Charli XCX assembled an It girl cast of celebs like Julia Fox, Emma Chamberlain, Chlo? Sevigny, Alex Consani, and, of course, Rachel Sennott. Beyond merely looking good on a red carpet (she's a Balenciaga muse), @treaclychild is fast becoming the voice of Gen Z, tapping her experience as a standup comic and New York University Tisch School of the Arts graduate to star in Shiva Baby, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Bottoms Up, and I Used to Be Funny. Like Lena Dunham and Issa Rae before her, HBO has green-lit a yet-untitled half-hour comedy series starring, written, and executive produced by Sennott, with a raucous cast that includes Leighton Meester and newcomers Jordan Firstman, Miles Robbins, True Whitaker, Quenlin Blackwell and Odessa A'zion. Sennott is funny, fabulous, and fierce.

Ryan Destiny

Although Ryan Destiny has appeared in Lee Daniels's Star and in the Black-ish and Grown-ish franchise, the 29-year-old is about to blow up thanks to her standout role in The Fire Inside, Amazon MGM's biopic about Claressa "T-Rex" Shields, the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing (and the first boxer ever to win gold in two consecutive Olympic Games). Set to hit theaters on Christmas Day and written by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins, Destiny's first starring role in a major studio film has earned critics' praise at the Toronto Film Festival and is expected to make a splash next awards season. To boot, Destiny was formerly part of the girl group New Limit and continues to release music independently.

Shaboozey

Doors swing right open when Beyoncé's in your corner. While hip-hop and country singer-rapper Shaboozey has flirted with both genres for years, his features on Queen Bey's Cowboy Carter ("Sweet Honey Buckin'," "Spaghetti") introduced him to new audiences the world over. As of publication time, "A Bar Song (Tipsy)"—his countrified reimagining of J-Kwon's 2004 "Tipsy"—has spent nine consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100. Critics are tossing out his name as a Grammys contender for Best Country Song along with Kacey Musgraves, Jelly Roll, Post Malone, and Beyoncé.

Taylor Russell

Taylor Russell is an InStyle editor favorite because of her scintillating roles and the looks she delivers on the red carpet. The 30-year-old Canadian actress is best known for her performance in Netflix's Lost in Space, plus Waves, Mother Couch, and as the lead opposite Timothée Chalamet in Bones and All, director Luca Guadagnino's cannibal movie. She's set to star in Hope, a Korean thriller with Alicia Vikdander, Michael Fassbender, and Squid Game's Hoyeon. The fashion darling has fronted a Loewe campaign and regularly takes daring, experimental red carpet risks in Alexander McQueen, Prada, and Schiaparelli.

Tyla

The 22-year-old from South Africa knows how to make an entrance: For her 2024 Met Gala debut, Tyla made best-dressed lists left and right in a sculptural and hourglass-shaped custom Balmain design made of sand and micro-crystals. Though you may recognize her for that, music is the avenue in which she excels. Drawing from Afropop and R&B sounds, the global star became an industry heavy hitter with the release in March of her eponymous debut album, featuring her single "Water," which earned her the Grammy for Best African Music Performance. The song's music video has generated more than 200 million views on YouTube, not to mention a TikTok viral dance. She won the award for Best Afrobeats at the 2024 MTV VMAs.

Victoria Monét

Watch Victoria Monét's "Alright" music video to grasp the pop and R&B singer-songwriter's sensual and groovy scope of work. After penning hits for Blackpink, Nas, and, most notably, Ariana Grande ("7 rings," "needy," "thank u, next"), Monét made her major label debut in 2023 with Jaguar II, earning three Grammy wins for Best New Artist, Best R&B Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, becoming the first Black woman to earn the latter award. This month, she released "SOS (Sex on Sight)" featuring Usher.

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