Ten Music Artists To Watch Out For 2016
2016 is proving to be an already strange year for music, we’ve already lost icons Bowie and Prince and now Little Richard? But fear not, their names clearly live on within the sound of some of the artists we’ve chosen below. We’ve put together a list of some of the most exciting new artists from around the globe that are stamping their footprint on 2016. From Danish pop to British neo-soul to Dutch DIY lo-fi, this is a list we’re very excited about.
This band has been milling about for some time now on the indie circuit. We tweeted about their excellent single Try late last year. Having just signed to XL Recordings, home of Adele and Radiohead, things are looking mighty bright for this Danish quartet.
Christian Rich are a producer and DJ duo consisting of twin brothers Taiwo Hassan and Kehinde Hassan. They released their debut LP High last year and it oozed hit after hit. Having worked with Pharrell Williams, Vince Staples and Drake already, watch this space for more rewarding collaborations.
Former Singer of Smith Westerns, Cullen released his debut solo LP New Misery this year to critical acclaim. Full of Lennonesque and Ariel Pink’ish type sounds. Sour Silk is on repeat.
We wrote about this girl last year and she’s still on our stereo. An eye for fashion and great melodies, think Sade meets Hype Williams. Bea has been working with Blood Orange for her debut LP. Her last EP 2k11 came out late last year. Watch this space for a debut LP.
Earnest and sincere, Oakland based Jackson Phillips has been dolling out great indie tunes since last year. Think of The Drums and Washed Out and your half way there. Perfect for a summer jam.
Parcels
All we know about this group is that they are super young and from the hippy town Byron Bay. They live in Berlin and have been snapped up by the French label with the golden touch, Kitsune. This is their only tune, so savour it.
Also snapped by XL Recordings, Kaytranada is of Haitain-Canadian descent and has been issuing his unique brand of electro-soul since 2014. His catchy feature single, Glowed Up echoes another similar star Childish Gambino and shades of Drake. He’s set to release his debut LP this week, 99.9%. It’s set to be featuring, Craig David & Aluna George amongst others.
If you’re a fan of James Blake, Young Fathers, Radiohead and King Krule then this is your thing. He’s worked with super producer Brian Eno already and is about to explode. His debut EP 1-4 was released earlier this year and possesses that crossing-every-genre type of energy that could yield some incredible results.
Super smooth and to the point. This duo made up of Laurence Lafond-Beaulne and Camille Poliquin of Montreal, CA make dreamy pop for those fatigued by acts like Beach House or just the term Dream Pop in general. Their debut LP Little Mourning has been out since 2015, for fans of Telepathe and First Aid Kit. Their video Coconut Water below is super cheeky and fun.
Finally we have London pop princess Dua Lipa. Her title track Be The One has already racked up 26 million plays on Spotify. We checked in with her to see what can we expect in 2016 and find out a little bit more about her history. Her new single Hotter Than Hell will be released on May 6th.
What attracted us to you was your knack for writing a solid hook and your seriously strong vocals. Be The One is a killer tune – well done! Tell us a bit about how you approach writing music? Do you just pour your heart out or are you very methodical?
It depends on the day. Some days I come in and know exactly what I’m going to write about. Some days I play around with some chords, play with some melodies and see how I feel.
It looks like you have a huge career ahead of you, you’ve been so well received by radio and the online world. Have you been blown away by it all? Are you prepared for the whirlwind?
I’ve been working on this album for such a long time that I’m just so happy to finally get songs out, and I’m actually super prepared for all the busy days to come.
You wrote a song called Last Dance which is about being homesick. What are three things you love and miss about London?
I miss the familiarity of the place I’ve grown up in, I miss the rain when I’m in the sun for way too long, and I miss my bed.
You share a manager with Lana Del Rey. Are you afraid of the inevitable comparisons that may attract?
There are loads of comparisons between me and Lana but I feel that people will already be able to see from my music that we’re very different.
What can you tell us about your debut LP?
It’s very personal. It’s all about the things that have happened to me and my friends. It was really a lucky dip in the memory box.
Apparently you’re really into art. What is inspiring you right now?
I really love graffiti art, and I still stick to my favourites – Keith Herring and Basquiat.
Fast Forward ten years, where are you?
Doing what I’m doing now but hopefully on a bigger scale.
