They’ve wowed us once. But can they keep up that batting average?

We often talk about the pitfalls of breaking out as a rookie artist, but being the sophomore kid on the block can be just as tumultuous. The expectations are daunting and the pressures manifold: to avoid being cast away to “one-hit-wonder island,” carve out your distinctive voice and scale up your creative ambitions while navigating a whole minefield of new relationships. It’s often said that transitioning from “shows major potential” to “is the real deal” remains the single greatest hurdle to building a sustainable career in the arts. I could list a litany of examples of folks who were never quite able to fight off sophomore attrition, but the more constructive thing to do would be to celebrate those who have proven that the first cut isn’t always the deepest.

The pressure to deliver on his first major-label outing was sky-high for critical darling Kendrick Lamar, whose good kid, m.A.A.d city confirmed his headliner worthiness. Nirvana was propelled to voice-of-angsty-’90s-teens-everywhere status with Nevermind. Amy Winehouse followed up a jazz-inflected debut with her timeless, star-making

Back to Black, while Madonna carved out her Queen of Pop crown with Like a Virgin. On the filmmaking front, Pulp Fiction established Quentin Tarantino as a singular storyteller and dispenser of whip-smart dialogue, while Barry Jenkins forever shut down “Can he follow it up?” speculation with Moonlight eight full years after his acclaimedbut-little-seen debut. And let’s not forget that cult shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Parks and

Recreation and The Simpsons all initially struggled to find their voice and work out some quirks before hitting their stride come sophomore season.

So who’s currently out to prove they’re in it for the long haul? On the music front, the next few months will find some sophomore performers attempting to redeem themselves (Iggy Azalea), reinvent their brand (Sky Ferreira) or keep their voracious fan base satiated (Zayn). And with so many show runners clearly noncommittal about delivering a second season of their breakout series by year’s end (looking at you, Atlanta, The OA and Westworld), the reliable Archie gang

(Riverdale) and our favourite awkward black girl (Insecure) are swooping in to save us from a full-blown small-screen dry spell. Having second thoughts about reacquainting yourself with recent newbies? Here’s a short list of fledgling talents you’ll want to read, hear and see all grown up. —Michael-Oliver Harding