Year in Review 2013: Breakout Artists of the Year

Updated November 27, 2013 at 2:53 p.m.

Lorde

Lorde

Seventeen-year-old New Zealand artist Lorde exploded onto the music scene this year with her infectious track “Royals” and hit debut album “Pure Heroine.” The young artist’s tunes have been featured on television shows like “The Vampire Diaries” and while she’s a fan of Katy Perry, Lorde turned down the opportunity to tour with the pop star.

“Scheduling, primarily,” she told Fuse about why she rejected the offer. “I think Katy Perry’s really cool. I think that song that’s out at the moment (‘Roar’) is pretty much a perfect pop song … I think it’d be cool to tour with The Weeknd and I’d really like to support Kanye [West.]”

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In 2013, musicians kept us guessing, conquered stereotypes, blew us away and made us feel something. From Lorde’s standout track to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s catchy song about wearing “your grandad's clothes,” these 12 musicians all made a lasting impression this year.

Join us as we take a look at the top breakout artists of the year and how they burst onto the music scene. -- by Grace Stanisci