The longlist for the BBC Music Sound of 2020 has been announced and it includes the likes of Yungblud, Celeste, and Joesef - who are among those to have been selected by industry experts and previous winners. The longlist features ten rising acts, from punk-pop firebrand Yungblud to soul-baring songwriter Celeste.
They will be joined by indie star Beabadoobee, alt-rockers Easy Life, electronic singer Georiga, Joy Crookes Neo-soul star Joy Crookes, singer and poet Arlo Parks, Dublin rock band Inhaler – which is fronted by U2 frontman Bono’s son, Elijah Hewson – and Brighton band Squid.
Get to know more about the acts on the longlist here: https://t.co/ukfln3OdwY
— BBC Entertainment (@BBCNewsEnts) December 12, 2019
Speaking about the list, James Stirling, Head of BBC Music & BBC Music Introducing, said: “2020 is shaping up to be such an exciting year for British music. BBC Music is proud to play a role in so many of the incredible musical journeys, from YUNGBLUD’s first session for BBC Music Introducing in West Yorkshire back in 2017, to debut Glastonbury performances from Arlo Parks, Celeste and Easy Life on the BBC Music Introducing Stage earlier this year. Congratulations to all the longlisted artists and I am really looking forward to seeing what they have in store for 2020.”
maw i’ve made it apparently, some buzz man part of the BBC Sound of 2020 list hwfg @BBCR1 x x x x pic.twitter.com/tHgWhUHqic
— Joesef (@joesefjoesef) December 12, 2019
The 2020 longlist for the BBC’s annual Sound Of poll has been revealed, and sees a number of female artists representing a new wave of British R&B, bedroom pop, and soul. The 2020 selection sees a retreat from grime and UK rap, which had established a strong presence on the list over the last five years.
The names on this years list are already well known such as Celeste, who has already won the Brits’ Rising Star award and been named BBC Music Introducing’s artist of the year. However, it is Yungblud, who is the grandson of Rick Harrison, who played with T Rex in the 1970s – that is the most high profile name on the list. The Doncaster-born singer is the most high-profile name on the 2020 longlist, with 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify – more than all the other artists combined.
The Sound Of… list, which is now in its 18th year, showcases the hottest new artists for the coming year. Past winners have included some of the biggest names including Adele, Sam Smith, Years & Years, 50 Cent, Sigrid and, earlier this year, Octavian. It is voted for by 170 music critics, broadcasters and DJs, as well as former nominees such as Billie Eilish, Lewis Capaldi and Chvrches.
The annual Sound of list celebrates musicians who have not been the lead artist on a UK top 10 single or album by 21 October 2019. Artists who have appeared on TV talent shows within the last three years are also ineligible. The top five will be revealed in the New Year, on BBC Radio 1 and BBC News, with one artist announced each day from Sunday 5 January until, the winner is revealed, on Thursday 9 January 2020.
