Last year brought us some new and promising artists. Lorde is perhaps the most important name who managed to break the barrier of indie and commercial and enter the Billboard with a simple song and a great message. Let’s have a look at some of the new artists we have listened to last year.
1. Lorde
Lorde needs no further introduction, after sitting atop the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks and being broadcast by radio stations all over the world. Royals was one of the hits of the year and the album Pure Heroine demonstrated that the charts can be reached without too much promo. Obviously, Lorde then got herself in all sort of discussions with various celebrities because she is not afraid to say what she thinks.
2. Bastille
Bastille is a British project and many of the voices in the business predict it a great year in 2018. Dan Smith’s lyrics are catchy and so are the songs, and the hit Pompeii quickly caught the public and the radios. Bastille manages to bring something else to the British pop wave, for which One Direction is the current definition. Bastille took an old hit, Rhythm of the Night by Corona, and brought a modern flair to it, so it’s worth listening.
3. Disclosure
The project of the two brothers is famous for the song White Noise, which was heard not only on radio stations in the UK, but also in the club scene. Their music fits very well in both areas without being too pop or dance, and their album Settle should be heard from beginning to end.
4. London Grammar
This British trio is downright hypnotic with the music they makes and the voice of Hannah Reid has much to say in this equation. They started last year with EP Metal & Dust, and in September they came out with the first studio material, If You Wait, whose single, Strong, quickly arrived in heavy rotation. The perfect weather ballads, the lyrics, all in all we have a promising material.
5. John Newman
John Newman is only 23 years old and his style is a blend between Morrison and Robbie Williams, without being too popy as the already established star have accustomed us with.
6. Haim
Haim is the break from all the British music. The three sisters from Los Angeles were able to attract the attention of the boss from Roc Nation, Jay Z, who has signed with them under his label. They played at the opening of various concert, such as those of Rihanna, Florence + The Machine and Mumford & Sons, and their rock reminds us of Alanis Morissette.
7. Kim Cesarion
Kim Cesarion is hear with the Undressed song on various radio stations. It’s the first single from the Swedish musician who has music school knowledge and plays a few instruments such as the violin and piano. Undressed benefits from his falsetto, a mix of soul, R & B and very catchy pop. Brains Out is the second single of the singer who is preparing to debut in the UK and U.S. markets and it reminds us of Prince, mentioned among his influences.
8. Rudimental
Rudimental have taken the UK clubs by storm with Waiting All Night and 2014 could be the year to debut in the U.S. market. Obviously, in this area there are all sorts of music collaborations, and John Newman appears with four Rudimental members on Feel the Love, another hit of theirs. Their debut album, Home, means a mixture between drum & bass, R & B and dubstep.
9. Alunageorge
AlunaGeorge is a very promising London electro duo which you can listen on the track White Noise from Disclosure. They were nominated for Critics’ Choice Awards, although the prize went to Tom Odell. They were present at all the major festivals of the year, and last summer they released their debut album, Body Music, a mix of electro, R & B and UK Garage.
10. Angel Haze
Raykeea Angel Wilson, her real name, is part of the new wave of female rap and, as Azael Banks, creates all sorts of controversy on social networks. However, the rapper has something to say, in the song Cleaning Out My Closet she is recognizing that she was sexually abused many times. Recently, Angel Haze clashed with the label, so she released her debut album online, Dirty Gold. Her material includes productions signed by Greg Kurstin, Markus Dravs and a song written by Sia.
The list could include Chvrches, a Scottish group, Parquet Courts, Chance the Rapper, ASAP Ferg and Jagwar Ma. What other names would you add to our top?
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