Who is Artemas? The vibey singer-songwriter breaking big with I Like the Way You Kiss Me

Artemas isn't a newcomer to the Official Charts. He made his debut in February with If U Think I'm Pretty, an ice-cool bassy bop that has now spent 13 weeks and counting on the Official Singles Chart. So far, it's peaked at Number 39.

And now, he has followed his chart breakthrough with an even bigger hit: I Like the Way You Kiss Me, a swaggering synth chugger that has stormed all the way into the Top 3.
But who is the artist behind these box-fresh alt-pop bangers? Here's everything you need to know.

Who is Artemas?

Artemas Diamandis – to use his full name – is a singer-songwriter-producer who grew up in a small village near Oxford. The 24-year-old rising star has since moved to London to further his career.

Self-taught and currently self-releasing his music, Artemas has said he made his first song at 16 after watching a Nirvana documentary on Netflix.

"I wanted to be like just like Kurt Cobain," Artemas told Ladygunn. "It was something about his aura in the documentary that hit home with me. It gave me my calling. I’ve been writing songs ever since and I transitioned to pop music."

Artemas began releasing music in 2020 and now has around 20 songs on streaming platforms, so there's plenty to check out if you're loving his two Official Charts hits.

He describes his songwriting process as instinctive and somewhat stream of consciousness. "I literally just sit down at a keyboard or guitar and then just try and speak a song into existence," he told Office. "I try not to be too clinical with what I’m trying to write and just spew out whatever. It’s a really cool process. Feels like I’m tapping into something beyond myself.

He added: "Recently, I have been making almost everything with my guitarist Toby Daintree, who’s just a musical genius."

How is I Like the Way You Kiss Me by Artemas performing on the Official Chart?

So far, I Like the Way You Kiss Me has peaked at Number 3 on the Official Singles Chart.

When it entered at Number 13 on 4 April, it instantly beat the Number 39 peak of Artemas' sprevious hit, If U Think I'm Pretty.

Since then, I Like the Way You Kiss Me has spent seven consecutive weeks in the Top 10. Its highest position to date – Number 3 – came in its fourth week on the chart.

Why has I Like the Way You Kiss Me by Artemas become so successful on the Official Chart?

This is the million dollar question, but Artemas is part of a new crop of artists who can spark huge viral moments on TikTok.

And in his case, TikTok ubiquity seems to have led to enviable numbers on other platforms. In fact, Artemas believes his music has found a place on a certain type of playlist.

"I’m on like the biggest ‘sex’ playlists on Spotify which is hilarious if you know me personally," he told Office. "The sound is everywhere on TikTok and I have seen some pretty fruity stuff. It’s what I always dreamed of."

He seems to have hit on a winning formula, so we look forward to hearing more sensual hits from Artemas in the coming months.