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| Ten rising stars are on the longlist, with the winner to be revealed in January |
The BBC's Sound of 2024 list predicts that dance and Afrobeats will dominate the next 12 months, with ten nominees including chart-topping drummer and bass artist Kenya Grace and South Korean house DJ Peggy Gou. South Africa's Tyla also makes the cut, following her hit single Water. Nigeria's Ayra Starr is predicted to replicate her success worldwide after collaborations with WizKid and David Guetta.
Art-rock five-piece The Last Dinner Party has a strong showing in the longlist, with their debut single Nothing Matters streamed over 13 million times on Spotify. They have toured this year with Florence + The Machine and Hozier and were named one of BBC 6 Music's artists of the year. Female solo acts like Caity Baser, CMAT, and Stevie Wonder fanatic Elmiene are also featured.
The list also includes British soul and R&B, led by Oxford-born Stevie Wonder fanatic Elmiene, who broke out in 2021 when his song Golden was chosen to soundtrack Virgil Abloh's final show for Louis Vuitton. Elmiene has since released two EP's of equally emotional soul and collaborated with stars from Stormzy and Jamie Woon to Timbaland and Justin Timberlake.
Olivier Dean, a London-born singer referencing classic R&B records of the 1960s and 70s, grew up listening to The Supremes and Aretha Franklin and channelled those influences into her Mercury Prize-nominated debut album, Messy. Sekou, a London-born singer, first signed a record deal at 16 after being spotted performing in a car park. He has since released a debut EP titled Out of Mind, which showcases his rich, resonant bass voice and earned him a nomination for the Brits Rising Star Award.
Dance music continues its post-pandemic renaissance, with Kenya Grace scoring a number-one hit with Strangers, a sinuous drum and bass anthem about disposable dating. Berlin-based DJ Peggy Gou completes the 2024 longlist seven years after releasing her debut single, Day Without Yesterday. She crossed into the mainstream this summer with the feelgood anthem (It Goes Like) Nanana, and her latest single, I Believe In Love Again, is a collaboration with rock legend Lenny Kravitz.
The Sound of 2024 was voted for by over 140 music industry experts, including representatives from Spotify, Apple Music, Glastonbury Festival, the BBC, and former nominees Jorja Smith, PinkPantheress, and Tom Grennan. The winner will be revealed in early January on BBC Radio 1, with the top five revealed in reverse order between Monday 1 and Friday 5 January.
This article is republished from BBC by Mark Savage. Click here to read the original article.
