THESE ARTISTS’ TIME WILL COME — AND SOON
Were you popping tags at the ‘Thrift Shop’ long before Macklemore & Ryan Lewis said it was cool? Blasting Icona Pop’s ‘I Love It’ in your car prior to its pop-radio breakout? Just for you, USA TODAY’s Patrick Ryan pored through a slew of music previews to
Banks
APPEARS ON: BBC, Billboard, Fuse, The Huffington Post, iTunes, Rdio, Shazam and Spotify lists
THE SCOOP: Silky voiced Jillian Banks ( better known as simply Banks) has fans in Katy Perry and Ellie Goulding, thanks to her entrancing blend of dark indie pop and R&B. She released first single Before I Ever Met You last February, swiftly followed by her
London EP and an opening slot for The Weeknd on tour last fall. Influenced by Fiona Apple and Lauryn Hill, Banks, 25, has a moody, ethereal sound enhanced by hot U.K. producers Jamie Woon and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. Fans can catch her at the Coachella, Bonnaroo and Governors Ball festivals.
IN A SENTENCE? Dubbed the “most plainly obvious pop star you’re ever likely to see” by
Vice magazine.
Sam Smith
APPEARS ON: BBC, Billboard, The Huffington Post, iTunes, the Los Angeles Times, Shazam and Spotify lists
THE SCOOP: Smith is in good company as the recipient of the 2014 Brit Critics’ Choice award, joining past winners Adele, Florence + The Machine and Emeli Sandé. The singer/songwriter initially turned heads with his stunning falsetto on Disclosure’s breakout track, Latch, and scored a No. 1 hit in the U.K. singing on Naughty Boy’s La La La. Now Smith, 21, is eyeing stateside domination, with debut album In
the Lonely Hour expected in June and a U.S. mini tour in March and April. He topped the BBC’s prestigious “Sound of 2014” list and will play Bonnaroo in June.
IN A SENTENCE? “On the brink of solo success” with a “rich, rare singing voice,” according to The Guardian.
Say Lou Lou
APPEARS ON: BBC, The Huffing ton Post, iTunes and Spotify lists
THE SCOOP: Twin sisters Elektra (the blonde) and Miranda (the brunette) Kilbey make up this stylish, drop-dead gorgeous pop duo, which have already drawn parallels to another twin pair, Tegan and Sara, in Pitchfork. Growing up between Stockholm and Sydney, the 22-year-old sisters have since been spotlighted by Elle and Vogue magazines for their chic fashion sense and gloomy synth-pop sound, evident on such gems as Julian, Fool
of Me and Beloved. These selfprofessed film geeks and Kanye West fans released their latest EP,
Better in the Dark, in November, with a full-length album expected sometime this year.
IN A SENTENCE? Clash magazine says the pair’s music is reminiscent of ’90s rock band “Garbage reproduced for Robyn fans.”
Chance the Rapper
APPEARS ON: BBC, Indie Shuffle and Time lists THE SCOOP: Hailing from Chicago, the rising South Side rapper broke out in a huge way with Acid Rap last April, which was nominated for best mixtape at the BET Hip-Hop Awards and made yearend “best of ” lists for Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. Born Chancelor Bennett, Spin magazine’s 20-year-old rapper of the year is a strong advocate against gun violence. He notably has opened for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Eminem, and he appeared on singles with such artists as Justin Bieber, Childish Gambino and James Blake. Chance is hitting the festival circuit this year, playing Coachella, CounterPoint, Sasquatch!, Hangout, Governors Ball and Bonnaroo.
IN A SENTENCE? “One of hip-hop’s finest new talents,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Kelela
APPEARS ON: BBC, Esquire, the Los Angeles Times and Time lists THE SCOOP: Raised on a diet of Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson tunes, the genre-defying Kelela Mizanekristos, 30, hails from Rockville, Md., where she was brought up by Ethiopian parents. Now based in L.A., the quickly emerging young artist released her debut mixtape,
Cut 4 Me, in October, which has been near-universally praised for its uninhibited lyrics and brooding, trancey blend of R&B and electronic flavors. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed: Kelela received a glowing write-up from The New York Times for her performance at the CMJ Music Marathon festival in October, has been mentioned on Beyoncé’s BeyHive blog, and was featured on Solange’s Saint
Heron compilation album in November. IN A SENTENCE? Distin-guished by an “expressive, unusual” voice, Kelela “will suck you into a futuristic R&B vortex,” Spin says.