Image via Complex Original/Jason Luppino
The year is 2042. You wake up, dress your better-looking avatar in its cleanest metaverse fit, and head to the virtual boardroom. At work, your mind wanders to date ideas that could rekindle the spark with your robot partner. Maybe you’ll take the hyperloop to L.A. to catch the Raptors-Lakers game; it’s just a half-hour from Toronto and Bronny’s still a sight to see at 37. Actually, scratch that—the smog outside looks especially poisonous today and you need a new gas mask. There’s that AI-generated Tupac concert happening in Decentraland tonight. Deepfake and chill it is.
Predicting the future is an unpredictable business. People have historically been terrible at it (shout-out Einstein, who once said nuclear energy would never be a thing). Nevertheless, there’s value to thinking about the future you want to see, and devoting your attention to the things that reflect it. After all, that’s what Complex did 20 years ago, when it was a nascent magazine invested in the Venn-diagram overlap of hip-hop, street art, skateboarding, sneakers, and punk rock. Back then, its founders saw a future in the convergence of subcultures, and decided to champion the people who best represented that vision. People like Kanye West, a hard-to-define rapper with a radically eclectic range of influences, who they’d feature heavily and collaborate with over the years. Today, the fringe movements Complex espoused have gone mainstream, genre lines in music and fashion are blurrier than ever, and Ye is a billionaire cultural titan who has changed everything.
While flying cars and brain-computer interfaces are hard for us to prognosticate on, we’ve got a pretty good idea of where the culture here in Canada seems to be going, and the direction we’d like it to keep moving in. For Complex’s 20th anniversary, we’ve identified the artists, creatives, athletes, and activists who embody our vision of that future. Some are people who’ve already had a tectonic impact on our culture—not to mention the world’s—profoundly altering its course for many years to come. Others are emergent rogues in their respective fields who are just beginning to move the dial. None are augmented reality rappers. But all of them are primed to mould the things we’ll be watching, listening to, wearing, and conversing about over the next couple decades, while we’re posting up in space colonies and interacting with each other through VR headsets. Like Ye, they’re people with the potential to change everything, even as everything changes.
Here are 20 Canadians who will shape the next 20 years of the culture. AI Tupac’s got nothing on them.
Aurora James
Aurora James continues to define what fashion with purpose is for her generation and those to come. The Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) alumni’s label, Brother Vellies, uses traditional African design techniques to create luxury accessories that celebrate cultural histories. Some of the brand’s exemplary shoes are batiked across Africa, showcasing traditional patterns, animal prints, and feathery accessories.
James’s passion for humanitarianism and sustaining artisan jobs began with her travels across the African continent, Mexico, and Honduras. After her travels and garnering much inspiration for the development of her brand, she went on to win the C.F.D.A.’s fashion Vogue fund in 2015. As a frequent Met Gala attendee, her highlight moment was in 2021, for the design of the “Tax The Rich” dress worn by American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Brother Vellies accessories have been seen on celebrities Beyoncé, Solange Knowles, and Elaine Wentworth.
As her profile has risen, James has made sure to use her platform to push for change. In 2020, she founded the 15 Percent Pledge, an initiative that challenges retailers to devote 15 percent of their shelf space to Black-owned brands. They’re already gotten Sephora, Hudson’s Bay, Nordstrom, Macys, and more on board.
James’s advocacy through fashion has landed her on Times’ 100 most influential people in the world list in 2021, as well as the Bloomberg 50 in 2020. That year saw yet another proud moment for Canadian fashion when James graced the cover of Vogue in a portrait by Jordan Casteel for their special edition “Hope” issue. She is a superhero in the fashion world and proves that advocating for humanity will always be in style. —Danica Samuel
Mustafa
Mustafa is well versed in the universal language of mourning. Even as a pre-teen, the Regent Park native had a deep understanding of grief’s weighty mass and used poetry to manage it. Through spoken word, he honed an honest, contemplative voice that held a mirror to his surroundings, which were often wrought with violence and premature death. But Mustafa’s lens has always been more detailed and nuanced than other takes on life in and around Regent Park—his poems used steady brushstrokes to create a portrait of his community that was anchored by warmth and humanity. His songs have the same effect. So much has been written about how Gen Z interacts with the world, but there’s very little insight into how we mourn. Though the 26-year-old is technically a millennial (he was born on the generational cusp), his appeal is intergenerational. He writes songs that exist in very specific places, but escape the confines of time. And his songs have this effect whether he’s singing them or not. Before releasing his 2021 debut When Smoke Rises, he helped pen hits for artists like The Weeknd, the Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber, and Shawn Mendes. These wins are particularly impressive when you track his growth from local hero to national leader (he was picked by Justin Trudeau for the Canada’s Youth Advisory Council in 2016) to pop songwriter to folk phenom.
When Smoke Rises was a requiem for his friend and fellow Halal Gang member Smoke Dawg, the Toronto rapper who was murdered in 2018. His poetic sensibilities seamlessly fold into the yarns he spins in his songs, where his anguish is palpable and his understanding of mortality is ever-evolving. But his hopefulness is unwavering. Despite the subject matter, he speaks and writes with a sense of optimism and authority over his own destiny. As we look ahead at such an uncertain future, Mustafa’s voice is one we’ll undoubtedly lean on. —Sumiko Wilson
Sean Brown
Sean Brown is a diplomat from the largest foreign nation: the imagination. He draws whimsical inspiration from his environment and deep love for the ’90s and early 2000s hip-hop era—or, the “shiny suit era,” as he called it in an Instagram manifesto for a unique grocery bag designed with images from music videos from some of his biggest musical inspirations: Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, and P-Diddy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Toronto multi-hyphenate brought life to many homes with his viral CD rugs that imitate hip-hop albums, like Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. He has since invented other unique products like incense holders in the mould of his hands and inflatable furniture. While creating intricate products, Brown inspires his followers with captivating photo dumps captioned “in no particular order”—a phrase he turned into a coffee table book, a Shopify-powered gallery in New York, and a collaboration with Appleton Rum where he documented his trip of Jamaica.
Brown’s playful approach to home décor and fine art produced a unique catalogue of bubble hard drive sleeves, perfumes named after his favourite songs, and packing tape that says “text me when you open this.” As a leading creative director of his time, Brown has worked with artists like P. Diddy, SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and received a Juno award nomination for album artwork of the year on Daniel Caesar’s studio album Freudian.
His multidisciplinary creative platform, Curves, began as a 2018 exhibition in Toronto and has since evolved into a virtual and physical experience. Brown’s products are available internationally from the U.S. to Kuwait, France and South Korea, making the Canadian creative a massive influence on how people experience art in their homes. —Danica Samuel
Wondagurl
Since the tender age of 10, Ebony “Wondagurl” Oshunrinde has produced beats as a passion, love, and hobby. The Juno award-winning producer was first introduced to the world when she broke barriers at Battle of the Beatmakers in 2012, awing the judges that included Grammy award-winning producer Boi1da. The following year, the beats produced in her basement were rapped over by the legendary Jay-Z for his song “Crown” on his 12th studio album Magna Carta Holy Grail. Since then, Wondagurl has produced contagious and untouchable beats for record-breaking artists like Drake, Mariah Carey, Travis Scott, and the late Pop Smoke. In 2018, the Brampton native was recognized in the Forbes 30 under 30 music category for her immense impact on music production.
As a trailblazer in her field, Wondagurl is the first woman and Black Canadian woman to win the Jack Richardson Producer of the year award at the 2021 and 2022 Junos. Her achievements set a precedent for the importance of acknowledging and championing women in the industry and producers of the African diaspora.
Now based in L.A., Wondgurl is growing the foundations of her legacy by empowering those aspiring to make a musical impact through her label Wonderchild. The joint venture with Sony/ATV focuses on developing the next generation of producers. Even without her Juno titles, Grammy nominations, and several R.I.A.A. certifications, Wondagurl’s impact and growing legacy will forever earn her a place on the 21st century’s Mount Rushmore of producers. —Danica Samuel
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
How much longer will the Oklahoma City Thunder be in tank mode? How much longer will they make Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sit through another losing season? Those are the questions that may decide when the Hamilton, Ontario native will rise to NBA superstardom. The talent is there for everyone to see and when he’s been on the court, he’s proven he is among the best guards in the NBA.
After four years in the league, Gilgeous-Alexander has already averaged at least 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in a season twice and that’s something few can lay claim to. Some might say that players tend to do that on bad teams, but the efficiency he’s shown shooting over 47 percent for his career and over 80 percent at the free-throw line show that he’s not just putting up gaudy numbers because of high usage. In a draft class that includes Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Deandre Ayton, it’s only a matter of time before Gilgeous-Alexander proves he’s worthy of being mentioned alongside them.
Right from draft day, he’s also been bringing nothing but heat off the court with his fits, making him an easy pick as someone who could shape culture for years to come. Gilgeous-Alexander has shown a wide range when it comes to his fashion choices and what’s amazing is that he seems to be able to pull off just about any look. He just made his runway debut at Paris Men’s Fashion Week this summer, was named the NBA’s most stylish player of 2022 by GQ, and has already become a style icon for the way he continues to push sartorial boundaries in sports (and even fashion, full stop).
SGA says he started off minimalistic and expanded from there with his fashion sense, and you get the sense it’s been the same with his game, too. In time, we’ll say the same about his influence. —Vivek Jacob
Skiifall
Montreal has contributed plenty to the international music scene, from Cohen to Kaytra, but never before has a rapper broken through to worldwide acclaim beyond cult status.
At 20 years old, Skiifall is poised to become the first, specifically by doing it his way. From the jump on late 2020’s “Ting Tun Up,” the industrious Shemar McKie fused the sounds and expressions of his native Saint-Vincent and his adopted Notre-Dame-de-Grace in Montreal into something that’s uniquely his, but also grand enough to invite Caribbean diasporas the world over.
Recorded at free community studios in Montreal, Skiifall’s homegrown hit found its way to the UK, where tastemakers Benji B and Jorja Smith swooned. More music followed. Late Louis Vuitton creative director Virgil Abloh also noticed, including “Lost Angeles” from the Woiiyoie Tapes Vol. 1 for a LV x NBA campaign. In an IG comment, Abloh even told Skiifall: “your sound is the soundtrack to our future.” Hard to argue with that.
With 2022’s “Bloodclarrt Business” and subsequent A Colors Show appearance, he’s proven that not only was his debut single no fluke, he’s already developed an immediately identifiable sound and flow as he hits his third decade on this planet. In a sea of imitators, Skiifall has deftly sidestepped any possible comparisons.
A natural performer just tapping into his headlining charisma, Skiifall impressed opening for BadBadNotGood and Denzel Curry, as well as at Pharrell’s Something in the Water festival this summer, and has a gig lined up at the inaugural Rolling Loud Toronto. All that movement in a little over a year. Skiifall also got signed to venerable British label XL Recordings, who released his BBNG collab “Break of Dawn.” The last Montrealer to sign there? None other than Kaytranada.
Kaytra really hit another level when he released his debut LP 99.9%. Expect similar fireworks when Skiifall inevitably drops his. It’s not even a matter of putting Montreal on the map: Skiifall is destined to break beyond borders, because globe-spanning talent like his doesn’t come around often. —Erik Leijon
Karena Evans
Very few people have been as productive in their 20s as Toronto director and actress Karena Evans. There aren’t many directors who can say they won the Prism Prize’s Lipsett Award at age 22—becoming the first woman to do so—or worked on music videos for Drake and SZA at age 23. Evans may only be 26 years old now, but it’s clear it’s only the beginning for her as an artist who is paving the way for other women of colour to be successful in the male-dominated film and TV industries.
As a storyteller, Evans is proof that you can create art in ways that are unconventional and that value historically underrepresented perspectives. As she’s branched off from directing music videos to also directing for TV shows such as Gossip Girl and P-Valley, she’s demonstrated how the power of representation can shape the narratives that viewers see on screen. Take the Gossip Girl reboot–there’s a diverse cast, so Evans was able to authentically bring their complex, rich stories to life by harnessing the power of inclusivity. It’s one of the reasons why she will continue to be so successful in the next two decades: she’s giving young women of colour who want to be creative a person to look up to who is pushing boundaries and advocating for stories where they also see themselves.
Whether Evans is acting or directing, there’s no doubt that her creativity will continue to flourish as she continues to tell stories that have meaning especially for marginalized communities. In the next two decades, we expect to see Evans continue to drive conversations forward and create more opportunities for young people in the arts. —Natalie Harmsen
Drake
In 2022, Drake is one of the most ubiquitous artists on the planet. Yes, it’s evident in how many times you hear him on your local Top 40 station each hour and how raucous the club gets when one of his songs comes on and how many photos on your feed use his quippiest lyrics as captions (that’s still a thing and probably always will be). But it’s also clear in the amount of artists who have tried to recreate his formula for success. Drake didn’t pioneer the hip-hop heartthrob persona, but he absolutely perfected it. This is mostly characterized by how he decides to forgo the veneer of bravado that wraps around most of his peers.
Hip-hop fusing with and eventually eclipsing conventional pop music was predestined, but Drake was one of the artists to cement this. Today, we see traces of Drake in mainstream megastars like Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, and Jack Harlow’s outright approach to this fusion: great rappers who are actually viable pop stars. And it’s even more significant considering that he’s dominating U.S. pop radio as a Canadian (he’s now got 100 top 20 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, more than any other artist in the chart’s 64-year history). Again, he’s not the first to do this, but among other Canadian rappers, he’s in a class of his own. Drake’s career is the blueprint for not only Canadian artists who want to transition into U.S. markets, but for hip-hop acts who want to crossover into pop.
But the biggest feat of all is that he’s managed to do this with his credibility in tact. It’s not hard to imagine Drake still dropping songs decades in the future because he has an agility that other artists don’t—his trendier takes are always more enduring than you’d expect them to be and he’s never swallowed by new sounds that he adopts. Even outside of music, he’s created infrastructure that can outlive him via the OVO conglomerate, which includes an annual festival, a clothing line, and an artist roster. On a personal level, there’s still so much power in proximity to him. For a certain genre of woman, getting an Instagram like from him or being invited to his house to hang out is an anecdote that will transcend generations. For a certain type of artist, securing a Drake feature is trajectory-changing. There’s nothing embarrassing about liking Drake. We can count on Drake to deliver what we want from him, but he’s still unafraid to flex his ability to evolve. He’s very much an artist of our times, but he’s perfectly equipped to exist beyond that. —Sumiko Wilson
Larissa Crawford
Métis-Jamaican activist Larissa Crawford has taken anti-racism and climate justice work to new heights through Future Ancestors, the organization she founded that offers resources to support people and the planet through a decolonized lens. The work Crawford is doing will only continue to become more and more important in the next 20 years, with climate change having an impact on people globally, but especially on vulnerable and impoverished populations.
Crawford has been outspoken about how her work is reflective of her values and prioritizes the communities they serve. By continuing to empower those who wish to engage with truth and reconciliation and honouring the earth, Crawford’s intersectional approach to creating change is not only beneficial to her community, but to Canadians everywhere.
As someone unafraid to call out ableism, racism, and more, Crawford is leading the way in removing systemic barriers to create a better future. By sharing the knowledge of how racial justice and climate justice are inextricably linked, Crawford is building and fostering a community that is spotlighting these issues through advocacy work. With Future Ancestors having only launched in 2020, the organization hasn’t let its newness slow it down, and has already raised thousands of dollars in addition to launching a platform to connect artists, speakers, researchers, and workshop facilitators across the country.
In the next 20 years, Crawford’s work will only continue to be urgent, necessary, and impactful, as she continues to raise awareness, educate, and inspire. —Natalie Harmsen
Joey Gollish, Mr. Saturday
To be self-taught isn’t a distinctly millennial quality but there’s a certain type of self invention that’s unique to this generation. And Toronto designer Joey Gollish opting for an hands-on, on-the-fly online education in lieu of formal design school is an undertaking that feels very of-the-moment. After launching two tech startups, he rerouted and created Mr. Saturday, which was incubated by HXOUSE, The Weeknd’s creative accelerator. To bring the ready-to-wear menswear line to fruition, Gollish fashioned himself into a designer, stitch by stitch.
As its name suggests, Mr. Saturday is an ode to leisure. The self-taught Toronto native sees cross-generational party culture as a definitive point of reference, using collections to bridge the gap between 19th century cabarets, ’80s club kid culture and the Art Basel crowd, bringing a dynamic infusion of rave to the runway. In the spirit of #BEEN #TRILL, Gollish has also become a fixture behind the boards as well, making Mr. Saturday less of a line to look at and admire and more of an experience to be immersed in. And the world is taking notice—Mr. Saturday has shown at Paris and New York Fashion Weeks, and artists like Future and Gunna have been seen sporting Gollish’s designs. Canada’s design community is small, but in just a few short years Gollish has joined the ranks of a new class of Canadian micro-ateliers set on proving just how big it can be—and how far it can go. —Sumiko Wilson
Stephan James and Shamier Anderson
Stephan James and Shamier Anderson’s big-screen impact has inspired many aspiring Canadians in film and television. James stepped into the spotlight with his Canadian Screen Award nomination for the film Home Again, produced and directed by Hungry Eyez Film and Television—a Black-owned Canadian production company. The Scarborough brothers became a sensation in various popular television series throughout the early to mid-2000s. They later landed huge roles and won prestigious awards that made the world admire the Scarborough to Hollywood pipeline trajectory.
James won the best actor Canadian Screen Award for his role as the iconic American track and field sprinter Jesse Owns in the 2016 film Race. Two years later, he starred in If Beal Street Could Talk, a film based on the novel by highly acclaimed writer and activist James Baldwin. Anderson worked alongside Halle Barry in the Netflix Original film Bruised and landed a role in Apple TV’s big-budget sci-drama series Invasion.
The brothers exude a sense of pride in their culture, heritage, and ancestry on and off the screen. They portray prominent characters of the Black community on screen and are currently building businesses that support and inspire future generations. Together they founded a non-profit called B.L.A.C.K. Canada (Building a Legacy in Acting, Cinema + Knowledge) with an extension of the organization called The Black Academy, which showcases Black talent across Canada in the arts, culture, entertainment, and sports. In 2021, they founded Baymills Studio, a production company dedicated to telling diverse stories across various content-driven platforms. The company’s first series is on the profound neo-expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquait, whom James will play. —Danica Samuel
The Weeknd
The Weeknd’s ascension has been something of a meteoric one, but that’s not to say that the silky-smooth vocalist and performer hasn’t been killing it for a while now. Abel Tesfaye has come a long way in the decade since mysteriously dropping House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. His accomplishments speak for themselves, as the Toronto-born performer has gone on to win four Grammys (and speak out on the show’s alleged corruption), sell out stadiums, and play the Super Bowl. He’s shattered records and taken over the world with his genre-bending sound that started out as dark, moody alternative R&B and then exploded into chart-topping pop hits. In the next 20 years, it’s a given that he will continue to be a force, shaping the world of music and culture.
His first compilation album Trilogy was only released 10 years ago in 2012. And in that span of time, he’s released five albums, a number of which have racked up millions of streams—“Blinding Lights” broke the record for most weeks on Billboard Hot 100 and Dawn FM set a record for the Billboard Global 200. And while that might be enough for some artists, it’s just the icing on the cake for The Weeknd. Part of the reason that he’s such a talent is because of his ability to evolve. As a musician and as a performer, Tesfaye is a chameleon. He has changed his sound from the dark, guttural R&B made for smoke-filled house parties and transformed it into the chart-topping pop, new-wave, and disco-influenced songs of a supernova, while never losing the gritty, lovelorn themes that have rooted him since the beginning.
While he’s grown and flourished as a musician, he has also expanded his repertoire as an artist by jumping into the world of acting. By taking roles in films such as Uncut Gems, and nabbing a leading role in the much-anticipated HBO series The Idol, which he also helped to create, Tesfaye proves he is someone who is always thinking 10 steps ahead. When he has a vision for something he executes it to the fullest extent, whether it’s chopping his hair off for his Starboy era or committing to keeping his face bandaged up for the majority of his After Hours promos.
But music and TV aside, the Weeknd has also had an undeniable impact as a philanthropist. Whether it’s donating funds to Black Lives Matter or sending aid to Beirut to help explosion survivors, or supporting healthcare workers in Scarborough, Tesfaye is an ambassador for global good. He often donates to causes quietly, but when he does share his charitable endeavours on social media it’s with the intent of encouraging others to give what they can. And that’s the tip of the iceberg when it comes to him using his power to uplift others—he’s also a champion for artistic entrepreneurial support, which takes the form of his non-profit HXOUSE, an incubator for young creatives in Toronto. The organization recently partnered with cryptocurrency exchange Binance for The Weeknd’s “After Hours Til Dawn” tour, making it the first global concert tour to integrate Web 3.0 technology.
From his influence on music to his fondness for supporting those in need, The Weeknd will continue soaring to new heights in the next two decades, likely while causing some seismic cultural shifts along the way. —Natalie Harmsen
Jessie Reyez
With a Grammy nomination, four Juno wins, and songs that have gone platinum, Jessie Reyez has no shortage of accolades. It’s no wonder she’s taken the music world by storm, having helped pen hits for artists including Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris, and releasing her debut album Before Love Came to Kill Us to widespread critical acclaim (it was even shortlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize). There’s no doubt in our minds she’ll continue to make waves as a singer and a songwriter in the music industry, when she’s already accomplished so much in such a short period of time.
As an artist Reyez has made an undeniable impact, in part due to her fearless transparency in her lyrics. Open and refreshingly honest, her raw storytelling is always on full display throughout all of her songs. Plus, she knows how to put on a show when playing live, sharing that candidness with audiences. On stage, she’s a powerhouse, with high-energy performances that show how far she’s come from her days of busking in Toronto’s Kensington Market. Every concert of hers is filled with passion and verve, with every show serving as a testament to how hard she’s worked.
Her artistry is also intertwined with advocacy, as Reyez has a track record of spotlighting issues of sexism and misogyny in the music industry. Her 2017 short film Gatekeeper evidenced the treatment female artists can be subjected to while chasing their dreams, and by sharing her truth, she used her power as an artist to take a stance on sexual harassment. She’s also been vocal about supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and has encouraged her followers to stand up to racial injustice.
Her forthcoming sophomore album, Yessie, is just another chapter in what’s sure to be a storied career. By refusing to compromise and remaining authentic to herself, Reyez will continue to push boundaries and make music that speaks to self-empowerment and making a difference. —Natalie Harmsen
Domee Shi
First, we need to talk about everything Shi’s done to shape the culture in the last five years alone: After getting her start interning in Pixar’s storyboarding department, Shi started racking up some impressive “firsts,” becoming the first woman to direct a short film for the famed animation studio with the Toronto-set Bao, then the first woman of colour to win the Oscar for Best Animated Short. Soon after, she became the first Asian woman to direct a Pixar feature, as well as the first woman, period, to direct a movie for the studio without a white guy co-director (although, TBH, that also says a mouthful about Hollywood’s well-documented diversity problems in addition to Shi’s filmmaking bonafides…). Her feature-length love letter to early-aughts Toronto, Turning Red, turned into the No. 1 Disney+ premiere of all-time, all while managing to sneak in a few deep-cut T.O. references. So yeah, the former Sheridan College grad has already done plenty.
But listening to those who know Shi best, you get the sense she’s really only just scratching the surface of her talents, and her immense potential. She’s practically the definition of the old “personal is universal” maxim, using her upbringing as the child of Chinese immigrants growing up in Toronto’s East York to bring more diversity to the Pixar lineup (both on screen and off)—all while delivering a massive hit in the process. Which is presumably a big part of the reason why the studio just promoted her to be one of their new VPs of creative. That’s a big-time come up for the former intern, and whether Shi keeps proudly setting her movies in the 6ix or not, considering everything she’s done so far to nudge Pixar towards embracing more diverse storytelling, we’re here for whatever she does next. —Rick Mele
Alphonso Davies
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but it has never been a big deal in Canada, where hockey rules all. But as the country grows and accepts more immigrants from soccer-loving countries, the popularity of the game is growing rapidly. And no one is more responsible for that growth than 21-year-old superstar Alphonso Davies.
Davies grew up in Buduburam, a Ghanaian refugee camp, where he was born after his parents had fled the civil war in Liberia. The Davies family immigrated to Canada when Alphonso was five, eventually settling in Edmonton, Alberta. Davies later enrolled in the Vancouver Whitecaps’ residency program and soon became the first player born in the 2000s to play in the MLS at just 15 years of age. After dominating the MLS, Davis now plays in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich, where he is widely considered the best left back in the world.
But it was what Davies did for the Canadian men’s national team in the most recent round of qualifying that makes him so influential. The footballer was named CONCACAF 2021 men’s player of the year after helping Canada to a 8-2-4 record in qualifying and the No. 1 seed in North America, qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986. Davies said that when he arrived in Canada “the boys on the football team made me feel at home” and “the people of North America have always welcomed me.” Now, Davies is pushing the game of soccer forward in Canada, proving how invaluable immigrants are to the very fabric of Canadian culture. —Oren Weisfeld
Daniel Caesar
As listeners, we’ve had a front row seat to Daniel Caesar’s winding road to self-actualization. From washing dishes at a hotel restaurant to being named The Annex Hotel’s Chief Culture Officer; from sleeping on park benches in Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods Park to singing on Coachella’s main stage, the Oshawa-raised singer-songwriter has etched a lane paved entirely by his commitment to authenticity. And because his only promise to fans rests in that authenticity, not even controversy can dismantle what he’s built—even when he’s not exactly right, he’s being real. This ethos bleeds into his songwriting. From his 2014 debut EP Praise Break to his sophomore LP Case Study 01, his songs have been entirely autobiographical. He questions his partner’s commitment on the Kirk Franklin-sampling “Hold Me Down.” He contemplates the afterlife on “Death & Taxes.” On “Who Hurt You” he serenades a dancer at Atlanta’s most iconic strip club. The recording booth is akin to a confessional, where nothing is obscured or embellished and that gives everything Caesar touches, even his more playful tracks, a distinct degree of gravitas. These aren’t songs that belong exclusively on night drives or bedroom playlists, a place where R&B often unjustly gets sequestered. Caesar’s generation will remember his most resonant tracks as the soundtrack to their self-discovery.
Caesar’s soulful, strummed ballads aren’t what comes to mind when people talk of the ubiquitous ‘Toronto sound’ and in that respect, he’s considered an outlier. Where some of his peers sought to continue the R&B tradition of vocal acrobatics and ’90s-inspired instrumentals, Caesar’s approach to songwriting doesn’t use nostalgia as a crutch. And as a result he created timeless love songs like “Get You,” the Brandy-assisted “Love Again,” and “Best Part,” which earned him his first Grammy and is the unofficial wedding anthem for the Instagram generation.
Best of all, much of this was done independently. Until this year, all of Caesar’s output was released through Golden Child Records, the indie roster helmed by Caesar and his creative partners Jordan Evans and Matthew Burnett. Signing to a major label is another example of Caesar evolving in real time. On the cusp of his third album and with his longterm goal of being a hotelier in motion, Caesar has cemented his status as R&B’s everyman. Fans can see him as a mirror into the millennial experience, not an idol or a prism. By wiping the proverbial lens and inviting listeners into his psyche, Caesar is rewriting the rules of stardom and shining on his own terms. —Sumiko Wilson
Leylah Fernandez
A nice player. A good player, even. That’s how Leylah Annie Fernandez was viewed as recently as a year ago. Keeping her from being viewed as someone with tremendous potential seemed to be her size, a 5-foot-3 frame that has in recent history proven to be a hurdle in pursuing tennis greatness.
Then came her run to the 2021 U.S. Open final, where she took out some of the sport’s biggest names including Naomi Osaka, dismissed concerns about her height with intelligence, movement, and yes, power. As she addressed the crowd after each win, and even the final loss, it was clear that even with a runners-up trophy no one won more hearts than the Canadian with Ecuadorian and Filipino roots.
That is part of what makes her a clear-cut choice to have a profound impact on culture over the next 20 years. She is Canadian but with global appeal, speaking in multiple languages including French and Spanish. The passion and fighting spirit she plays with is evident in every match, and it was almost Rafael Nadal-like the way she battled what was eventually diagnosed as a Grade 3 stress fracture on the top of her right foot to still reach the French Open quarter-finals. Her style is so inviting that world-famous names like Billie Jean King, Steve Nash, and Thierry Henry have given their stamp of approval. Talk about range.
Now into the Top 15 in the women’s singles rankings and eyeing the Top 10 at just 19 years of age, Fernandez is well on her way to becoming a household name that should inspire many more than those cheering from the north. —Vivek Jacob
Simu Liu
I know Canadians are supposed to be humble or whatever, but you’ll have to forgive us for getting hyped over seeing Simu Liu so thoroughly crush it after going from CBC sitcom to his very own Marvel franchise. And while Liu’s no longer the MCU’s newest superhero (that honour goes to another Canadian, Ms. Marvel’s Iman Vellani), ever since tweeting his role as Shang-Chi into existence back in 2018, it feels like anything is possible for the former ‘Sauga native.
With a seemingly effortless self-deprecating charm that rivals either of the Ryans, it’s almost like Liu arrived on the scene a fully-formed A-lister. And the one-time stock photo model’s embraced all the added attention that comes with being a card-carrying member of the MCU: putting out a memoir about his own origin story growing up as a Chinese-Canadian in the GTA and hosting the shit out of both the Junos and SNL, all while not forgetting where he came from.
Maybe it’s because Liu found fame at a later age, but he’s not some neutered Ken doll either (although he will be starring in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie alongside Gosling later this year). Where some stars power wash their public personas until they’re squeaky clean—and boring AF—Liu feels refreshingly real. He’s not afraid to speak his mind, or call out his employer (see his tweet chirping Moon Knight’s shitty Mandarin, previously: Kim’s Convenience). He’s salty in the most satisfying possible way too, trolling toxic fanboys after Shang-Chi became a global phenomenon. Fuck humble. It’s about time Canada celebrated our Ws. —Rick Mele
Justin Bieber
Ok, so maybe it’s a bit of a cheat to put Bieber on this list, considering he’s already been one of Canada’s biggest musical exports over the last two decades (Drake’s the only other Canadian artist with more No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100). But hear us out: the former Stratford kid with the goofy-ass swoop is still only 28, and his second act’s shaping up to be pretty interesting. Not only is Bieber fever still going strong—on top of being one of the best-selling artists of all-time and regularly selling out stadiums, fans in Toronto recently waited out in the rain overnight for the chance to cop tour merch for a pair of shows he’d already canceled—Justin’s also been diversifying lately, co-founding Drew House with his former “swagger coach” in 2019 and turning it from celebrity vanity project into a legit streetwear label.
And, where some Canuck celebs hit it big in the States and, aside from the rare work trip and/or playoff luxury box appearance, treat Canada more like the hometown they outgrew, JB’s always had a bit of a townie vibe to him. And he’s been unapologetically embracing his CDN icon status in recent years. Collabing with Timmies for your own Timbits n’ merch line is the ultimate small-town-Ontario-kid-made-good flex; the partnership went so well, they re-upped it this year with Biebs Brew.
Although we’re guessing Bieber’s recent Leafs x Drew House jersey collab was an even bigger bucket list item for the diehard Toronto superfan—as well as a possible sign of what’s to come. I’m not saying Bieber can be to the Leafs what Drake’s become to the Raptors, but I’m not not saying it either. (He’s already buds with Auston Matthews.) Hell, at this rate, Biebs’ll be able to afford to buy the team before the next two decades are up. Just sayin’: he supposedly “kicked the tires” on the Senators earlier this year… —Rick Mele
Dalano Banton
Becoming the first Canadian drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the franchise’s 27-year history is already an achievement, but it pales in comparison to the impact Dalano Banton is primed to have in his community of Rexdale, the city of Toronto, and beyond in the years to come.
Rexdale, which was designated a priority neighbourhood by Toronto in 2014, is a sometimes neglected and under-resourced inner-city community that has been disproportionately impacted by youth homicides, making it a difficult environment to succeed within. But it’s also exactly what makes Banton who he is today: a proud representative of the neighborhood and a role model for inner-city kids across Canada to look up to and follow in his footsteps.
“Being from Rexdale, it’s hard to try to make something of yourself. So coming from that environment and being able to do something positive for myself, I feel like it’ll open more doors for people to believe that it could happen for them,” Banton told us after getting drafted.
After all, representation is key for inner-city kids, who often lack role models who made it out of their community that they can see themselves in. Banton’s streetwear brand, In Your City, is an extension of his ethos: It aims to inspire youth to live bigger than their circumstances. The six-foot-nine point guard is already becoming a community leader in Rexdale, hosting his very first basketball camp at the Rexdale Community Hub—where he learned to play ball—earlier this year. That kind of attention can go a long way—in July, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Raptors president Masai Ujiri held a roundtable discussion at the Hub about gun violence, bringing even more visibility to a neighbourhood that’s felt largely overlooked in the past. Banton understands the importance of showing face as often as possible and has big plans in the pipeline to continue growing as a leader in his community.
As Dalano tells it: “I want to be the blueprint of somebody who really made it out, made something of themselves, and took it to another level.” —Oren Weisfeld