BBC Sound of and New Artists for 2016

It’s that time of year once more when we look to the future to see which lucky, plucky musicians stand to make a career out of their vocations. This year’s accumulative longlist numbers 102. I’ve excluded artists from other lists which I have myself featured in previous years, and anyone who has already released a proper official album - full-length mix-tapes and such are fine.

My short list (Top of the Props) is narrowed to a selection of just 11 - consisting of artists who get 3 or more mentions in those various lists. I am very happy to see Jack Garrat at the top of the tree, as he really embodies what future music-making is all about - a talented multi-instrumentalist and vocalist / songwriter, he layers up and loops tracks building up with his own percussion, synth bassline, rhythm guitar and effects. He is superb live, as he creates his backing on the fly - doing improv drum fills and guitar and keyboard solos as he sings. I also already have a load of singles and EP’s by the highly prodigious Mura Masa, whom I rate almost as highly.

I find that the BBC is usually the best guide to finding the most likely pop successors. It’s just a shame really that so few actually make it through the mangle. You can check through previous years to see the handful who manage to sustain a meaningful and rewarding career in this industry. For too many, music ends up as a hobby or a way in reserve second job, as only those who gain a significant following can derive a sufficent living standard from music alone.

There’s plenty of variety as always - and as always I gravitate towards Electronic, R&B and Soul ...

Top of the Props

By number of supporters then alphabetical:

Jack Garratt [Soulful Electro-Pop] (AM, BBC, Gw, MTV, Sp, +) x6

Nao [Sharp, Modern Neo-Soul] (AM, BBC, Gg, Gw, Sp, Id) x6

Blossoms [Contemporary Slickly-Produced Indie Rock] (AM, BBC, Gw, MTV, Sp) x5

Frances [Emotive Piano Pop] (AM, BBC, Gw, Id, Sp) x5

Mura Masa [Slick Modern Electronic-tinged Pop] (AM, AR, BBC, Gw, Sp) x5

Billie Marten [Elegant Acoustic Folk] (AM, AR, BBC, Gw) x4

Rat Boy [Punky Indie Rock] (AR, BBC, Gw, MTV) x4

Alessia Cara [Slick R&B Pop] (BBC, Gg, Gw) x3

Loyle Carner [Fluid Soulful UK Hip-Hop] (AR, BBC, Gw) x3

Mabel [Mini-Neneh, Soulful Pop] (BBC, Gw, Sp) x3

WSTRN [West London R&B Rap Collective] (BBC, Gw, MTV) x3

Accumulative Longlist

Alphabetical:

• Alessia Cara (BBC, Gg, Gw) x3
• Anderson .Paak (Gg)
• Anne-Marie (MTV, Sp) x2
• April Towers (Gw)
• Astrid S (Gw)
• August Eve (Id)
• Aurora (Gw, Id) x2
• Barns Courtney (Gw)
• Belly (Gg)
• The Big Moon (AR, Gw) x2
• Billie Marten (AM, AR, BBC, Gw) x4
• Black Foxxes (Gw)
• Black Honey (Gw)
• Blossoms (AM, BBC, Gw, MTV, Sp) x5
• Bonkaz (Gw, MTV) x2
• Bright Young People (Gw)
• Broken Hands (Gw)
• Clairity (Id)
• Clean Cut Kid (AM, Gw) x2
• Cloves (Id)
• Cold Ocean Lies (Gw)
• Conrad Sewell (Id)
• Cool Amerika (Gg)
• Dead! (Gw)
• Diet Cig (Gw)
• Dua Lipa (BBC, Gw) x2
• Du Blonde (Gw)
• Elohim (Id)
• Emma Blackery (Gw)
• Eryn Allen Kane (Gg)
• Fletcher (Id)
• Formation (Gw)
• Frances (AM, BBC, Gw, Id, Sp) x5
• Gavin James (Sp)
• Get Inuit (Gw)
• Gilligan Moss (Gw)
• Haelos (Gw)
• Hannag Lou Clark (Gw)
• Hinds (Gw)
• Hippo Campus (Gw)
• ho99o9 (Gw)
• Honne (Gw, Sp) x2
• Izzy Bizu (BBC, Gw) x2
• Jack Garratt (AM, BBC, Gw, MTV, Sp, +) x6
• The Japanese House (AR, Gg)
• Kay IDK (Gg)
• Jay Prince (Gw)
• J Hus (BBC, Gw) x2
• Jones (Id, Sp) x2
• Kamaiyah (Gg)
• Kero Kero Bonito (Gw)
• Kiiara (SK)
• Kiko Bun (Gw)
• Kojey Radical (AR)
• LÉON (Id, Sp) x2
• Lil Uzi Vert (Gg)
• Love Ssega (AR)
• Loyle Carner (AR, BBC, Gw) x3
• Mabel (BBC, Gw, Sp) x3
• Marlon Williams (Gw)
• Matoma (Sp)
• Max Pope (Sp)
• Meg Mac (Id)
• Miya Folick (Gw)
• Mura Masa (AM, AR, BBC, Gw, Sp) x5
• Nai Harvest (Gw)
• Nao (AM, BBC, Gg, Gw, Sp, Id) x6
• Nef the Pharaoh (Gg)
• Neon Waltz (Gw)
• Nimmo (Gw, MTV) x2
• Oceean (Gw)
• Oscar (Gw)
• Petite Meller (Gw)
• Pixx (Gw)
• PNB Rock (Gg)
• Pom Poms (Id)
• Pretty Vicious (AR, Gw) x2
• Pwr Bttm (Gw)
• Rat Boy (AR, BBC, Gw, MTV) x4
• Rationale (AM, MTV) x2
• Roy Woods (Gg)
• Samm Henshaw (Sp)
• Section Boys (BBC, Gw) x2
• SG Lewis (Gw, MTV) x2
• Sigala (Id, MTV) x2
• Slutface (Gw)
• Sofi De La Torre (Id)
• Spring King (AM, AR) x2
• Steve James (Id)
• Sundara Karma (Gw)
• Tala (AR)
• Tigercub (Gw)
• Tiggs Da Author (Gw)
• Tkay Maizda (Id)
• Tory Lanez (Gg)
• Trampolene (Gw)
• Vant (AR, Gw) x2
• Vitamin (Gw)
• Will Joseph Cook (Sp)
• WSTRN (BBC, Gw, MTV) x3
• Yout Man (Gw)
• Zak Abel (AM)
• Zibra (Gw)

Legend:

AM = Apple Music
AR = Amazing Radio (amazingradio.com/tipsfor2016)
BBC (www.bbc.co.uk/events/efq8gw)
Gg = Globalgrind (globalgrind.com/2015/12/23/whos-up-next-16-artists-to-watch-in-2016/)
Gw = Gigwise (www.gigwise.com/photos/102283/channel-4-announce-the-10-acts-for-their-future-sounds-list)
Id = Idolator (www.idolator.com/7618023/artists-to-watch-2016-verge)
MTV (www.mtv.co.uk/brand-new-for-2016/news/mtvs-brand-new-for-2016-shortlist-revealed)
SK = Personal selection
Sp = Spotify
+ = Brits Critics’ Choice prize for 2016