Sound of 2019

Yes, it's already that time, as industry insiders start flogging next year's wares early.

Sam Fender won the Brits Critics Choice nod, even though he was on some lists for 2018 (he overcame Mahalia, and Lewis Capaldi to win).

The 10 names of the BBC's Sound of 2019 list have also been named:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-46466338

Grace Carter
Flohio
Dermot Kennedy
King Princess
Mahalia
Ella Mai
Octavian
Rosalía
Sea Girls
Slowthai

Grace, Ella and Mahalia have all already had tentative hits in 2018.

The rundown was spread over this past week, and thus:

5 - Rosalia
4 - Slowthai
3 - Grace Carter
2 - King Princess
1 - OCTAVIAN! - the first rapper to win since 50 Cent in 2003, apparently.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-46822596

BoxFresh - 2019 Spotlight
New year, new presenters, with Vick Hope replaced by Abbie McCarthy and Yinka Bokinni. They focussed on 4 acts they're tipping for big things this year:

Hrvy
Easy Life
Amelia Monet
Young T & Bugsey

Hrvy is a bland male pop singer who's had a few singles already. Easy Life are a new pop-rock band from Leicester. Monet did that song with Eo. The latter have had a couple of singles at the end of last year. I can well believe they'll do as well this year.

MTV Push - Ones to Watch 2019 - The Contenders
Spread-betting stuff...

Glowie
Young T & Bugsey
Dermot Kennedy
Jade Bird
Grace Carter
Loski
Lewis Capaldi
Sam Fender
Mahalia
Col3trane

Hmm...

Fresh Focus: HRVY
Abbie did this one, H started doing covers on YT at the age of 12, then FB at 13. Personal was a big breakthrough hit. He claimed not to have a set plan for this year, just hopes of festivals and things. I was expecting a longer show somehow.

Fresh Focus: Amelia Monet
Abbie again. Amelia was on stage from the age of 8, spending 4 years in some show. She started using YT after Instagram started. She's proud in singing in her own accent. She had high expectations for this year. Baddest was her breakthrough moment. She was keen to prove she can sing and rap.

Lewis Capaldi is the first of these acts to break through big, as he's now #1 (helped no doubt by a video featuring "distant relative" actor Peter Capaldi) 

Fresh Forward
March's edition features music from Kara Marni, and chats to Maverick Sabre (not in fact fresh at all), Lauv & Troye Sivan (ditto) and Madison Beer. Marni is the "fresh artist of the month" which is probably a fair assessment.

Fresh Focus: Kara Marni
The full edition as teased previously. Her sound is described as "Sade meets Sam Smith meets Amy Winehouse". She has 90s influences, like Lauryn Hill. She makes music in her garden shed. She attended the prestigious Brit School but didn't finish. She likes Dublin audiences, and plans a headline tour at the end of the year.

Fresh Forward
April's edition, with Abbie doing the main work, talking to artist-of-the-month Maisie Peters, Tom Walker, Ava Max, and Jack & Jack. Walker and Max seem to most of the way there already really, whether the others are remains to be seen.

Fresh Focus: Maisie Peters
She wasn't an infant prodigy, and had been in a band. She put her own material on YouTube. Her first hit has a video with a cute cat (Stay Young). Another tune went viral (Place We Were Made). She's supported Tom Walker, Mahalia and George Ezra, which is an interesting judgement on scale.

Fresh Focus: Yungblud
Rather tiresome Doncaster native who's a self-taught multi-instrumentalist. He's making waves for a collaboration with Halsey and Travis Barker. His dad owned a guitar shop, and he was playing in bands from the age of 12.

Fresh Forward
May's update centred on Yungblud, but also spoke to Nottingham's Young T & Bugsey, Reading's The Amazons (who're on their 2nd album, so not that fresh really) and Picture This, who hail from over in County Kildare.

BoxFresh - Live at the Great Escape
Festival in Brighton, footage here from performances by Easy Life, Kara Marni and headliner chart-topper Lewis Capaldi. Some backstage chats with the acts too (Capaldi has an arena tour booked for 2020! Easy Life are looking forward to playing Glastonbury!).

Capaldi's album came out last week and went straight into the chart at #1

Four to the Floor - Mixtape
Good end to a curious series, with the musical acts all combined. They included Biig Piig, Ragz Originale, Mirda May and Octavian. None of them really seemed outstanding it must be said.

Fresh Forward - June
Act of the month is Iceland's own Glowie. Body wasn't really a hit, but let's not fuss with details, hey? Also present were Sigala & Becky Hill (hmm), and more trackback about the Great Escape festival from last month. Arguably Lewis Capaldi has benefitted from it the most.

Fresh Focus: Glowie
As before, she's from Iceland, been in the UK for a year. Finds London a more active place than back home. She didn't write her hit Body. She learnt hairdressing, and takes her video choreography from her own dance experience (9-10 years!). She's inspired by Alicia Keys.

Fresh Focus: Lennon Stella
She was born in Ontario to a big family, with musical parents. She was in the drama "Nashville" at a youn age. She rates The 1975 and Tame Impala, so not quite the usual. She's only 19, and her big success here so far is the Polaroid multi-artist effort.

Ally Brooke: Upfront
She was also in Fifth Harmony apparently, and is now solo too. She's worked with Tyga. She grew up in San Antonio. Her fans call themselves the Allygiance. She's working on an album. Seems a safe bet not to match Camila Cabello.

Prettymuch: Upfront
They're a boyband and Simon Cowell's new big project. They look forward to meeting their international fans. I bet.

Fresh Forward
July's edition focused on Lennon Stella primarily, but also fitted in Alec Benjamin, Prettymuch and Ally Brooke. So, not entirely pushing the boat out with risks there.

Picture This: Upfront
They're Irish, upbeat, into anthem pop and love the joy of playing live. Well, we'll see how that works out for them.

TUNE: Sam Fender
He did his big number Hypersonic Missiles during his show in Glasgow. There was a feature on Edinburgh's drum & bass scene, performances by Lizzie Reid and India Rose, a chat to techno DJ Frazier, and a piece on the Riverside Festival.

Fresh Forward: August
Artist of the month being L Devine, from Whitley Bay. Also features on Mae Muller, Ina Wroldsen and The SLP (aka Serge from Kasabian).

Fresh Focus: L Devine
L for Olivia apparently. She's a lesbian too, that might be kismet. She loves songwriting, she's worked with Rudimental, she uses songs as free therapy etc. Like You Like That was a great single though.

Fresh Forward: September
Mahalia is the main act of the month, but Barns Courtney and Ella Eyre get attention despite hardly being that fresh, whilst Kiana Lede gets squeezed in at the end.

Tom Walker: Homecoming
He did a gig at Glasgow Barrowlands back in April. This show manages to do everything except show said gig. But meeting members of Tom's family, or the guy at a record shop he favours, or dropping in at King Tuts are all worthy moments.

Fresh Focus: Mahalia
She's from Leicester, has musical parents. She signed a deal at just 13. She's a Taurus. She was at Glastonbury; her Dad went to the first one. She supported Lauryn Hill at Blenheim Palace. She's had some good songs so far over the past 12 months, so I hope that continues.

Freshers: The Success Stories
1 of 3 compilation shows of the format - this looked at people who've obviously done well from their initial success. So Anne-Marie, Billie Eilish, Bebe Rexha, Dia Lipa and Christine & the Queens amongst others. Wouldn't think Yungblud has done enough to justify such praise yet though.

Ina Wroldsen: Upfront
She's Norwegian, she writes a lot, likes all kinds of music. She's worked with Anne-Marie, among others. She values music that taps into emotions.

Freshers: The Covers
Another compilation show, notable for the choices of covers, which tended to be equally recent stuff like I'm So Tired or No Roots. There were the odd oldies like Womanizer or No Scrubs, but generally nothing too shocking.

Freshers: The Year So Far
The final one was even more basic, glorying in the folk they've met, some of whom haven't really pulled up any trees yet.

Sam Fender's debut album Hypersonic Missiles went straight to #1, confounding releases by more established acts like Emeli Sande, Lumineers, Charli XCX and KoRn.

Lewis Capaldi Live
A gig from August, with him backed by Manchester's Camerata Orchestra, at Croxteth Park, Liverpool. He did his handful of hits, plus a cover of Yesterday. Seemed a popular show.

Joel Corry: Upfront
He's a house DJ from North London, and his elder brother was an MC. He was raised on garage music, and use Hayley May's vocals on some of his records, such as current big hit Sorry. He's a fan of Wiley, and was pleased to do him a remix.

Fresh Focus: Dermot Kennedy
He's from Dublin, and been working away for 10 years, of which the last 3 have been the busiest. He likes music from 50 Cent to David Gray. He got an approval from Taylor Swift, and has been popular on Spotify.