It’s coming round that time of year again when the prestigious BBC Sound Of poll gets going. The award is well known for naming some of the best rising stars in the music industry, with winners and nominees often going on to greater and better things. Just look at past winners and nominees like Adele, Stormzy, George Ezra and Haim.
Chosen this year by a panel of 133 industry experts and insiders, including Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Charli XCX, and former nominees Jorja Smith, Foals and Billie Eilish, the prize has a history of knowing what’s going on in music. The BBC said of the award that “The Sound Of list started in 2003 with the aim to showcase the most exciting rising stars in music …. 19 years later, and the aim is the same – to continue predicting some of the biggest and most exciting global superstars.“
For this year’s nominees, ten names have been chosen from a range of genres, from drill artist Central Cee, soul/R&B singer Priya Ragu, and the “new nostalgic” sound of TikTok sensation PinkPantheress. Other artists include quirky Isle of Wight duo Wet Leg, whose debut album is due out next April, more of which you can read about here.
Introducing the Radio 1 #SoundOf2022 long-list!
Expect big things from these 10 amazing artists next year:@babyqueen
Central Cee@ennyintegrity@lolayounggg@mimiwebb@pinkpantheress2@PRIYARAGUMUSIC@temsbaby@wetlegband@YardActBandFind out more: https://t.co/Cdil72zk6i pic.twitter.com/SSQhbdSm9V
— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) December 6, 2021
Also, the world of TikTok seems to be making its presence known, with PinkPantheress not being the only nominee who’s used the platform to their advantage. South London artist Enny had a viral hit on the app with her song “Peng Black Girls“, which celebrated being a black woman, and artist Mimi Webb got 85 million views with her track “Before I Go“ when TikTok star Charli D’Amelio posted it online.
Of course, a BBC Sounds Of nomination isn’t the only success these artists have had recently. Nominee Lola Young has also been nominated for a 2022 BRITs Rising Star Award, whilst Central Cee won as best newcomer at yesterday’s Mobo awards and recently had a top 10 UK hit with his ballad “Obsessed With You“.
The results will be made known next month, with the top 5 artists announced on January 1st, and then each day from then on a single artist will be named until the winner is revealed on the 6th. It’s an exciting time for artists, who often go on to better things whether they win or not. Last year’s winner was rapper Pa Salieu, who’s had plenty of success since with hit singles “Glidin’” and “Bad”. If you’re interested in reading a bit more about who’s been nominated and what they’re about, you can look here.
