Annabelle Dinda | Artist To Watch – May 2026

Hometown: Wayne, Pa.

Why She’s An WXPN Artist To Watch: The Philly-area native has dropped four albums in just six years’ time, the most recent being Something Never Leave in January. She hit our radar here at WXPN when Dan Reed brought in her song “Blunt Force and Bomb Dog” from her ME-P and played it a few times on the afternoon show. With May being Philly Music Month, choosing local breakout star felt rather apropos.

Dinda sings deeply personal lyrics strung together with mesmerizing melodies that for many singers would prove tricky to nail down cleanly, but Dinda hits the mark beautifully. The track “Satellites” from her new album is a shining example of her vocal skills.

Some of her songs are stripped down, just Dinda and an acoustic guitar, while others are more rounded out with a full band accompaniment and a more produced sound (in a good way), like the song “July 23rd” from 2024’s Sixth Sense.

You Might Know Her From: Her song “The Hand” from the latest album has is a certified viral sensation. The track blew up on TikTok and now has nearly 42 million play on Spotify. Additionally, the 25-year-old is up to a whopping 1.2 million monthly listens on the streaming service. There’s one more place you may have seen her name: Noah Kahan’s “The Great Divide Tour” dates. That’s right, Dinda is heading out on tour with one of — if not the — biggest pop folk acts around. The cherry on top is she’ll get to perform at a sold-out Citizens Bank Park with Kahan on June 26.

Fun Fact: According to her social media, she’s writing a musical! Check out some clips here.

Essential Tracks: “The Hand,” “Logging Field,” “Egg on Your Head.”

Catch Them Live: Dinda’s got a run of solo headlining gig coming up, including one right here in Philly; she’ll be at the First Unitarian Church on May 10.