Not familiar with this year’s Sound of 2018 longlist? Unsure if any of them will be your cup of tea? First, take our quiz to see if your music taste matches up with any of this year’s 16 acts.
Once that's done, it’s worth checking if one of your favourite celebrities is already singing the praises of a Sound Of hopeful. After all, Elton John - an early fan of Christine & the Queens - is rarely wrong when it comes to tipping new music. Rio Ferdinand knows a thing or two about grime talent as well as football punditry. And when Lorde personally handpicks a new artist to support her on tour, they’re bound to be something special.
So listen up - these are the artists famous folks keep going on about:
Elton John: Alma
21-year-old Alma, aka Alma-Sofia Miettinen, has firmly become a go-to pop collaborator in the last twelve months. Her Phases single saw her teaming up with Moroccan-American rapper French Montana, and she collaborated with pop royalty – Tove Lo and Charli XCX – on the latter’s recent Pop 2 mixtape.
Outside the studio, she’s had big names singing her praises. None bigger than Elton John, who played Alma’s Chasing Highs song on his own radio show back in August and told listeners: “When you get a good pop record, then it stands out. That is a great pop record, and I love it.”
Harry Styles: Khalid
Which famous faces hasn’t Khalid been hanging out with? After releasing debut album American Teen in 2017, he’s become a magnet for A-listers who’ve all fallen in love with his heartbroken RnB. Let’s quickly round up the celeb selfies: He’s been in the presence of Harry Styles, , , , – the list goes on. Even become a Khalid fan. And that’s not mentioning the fact New Zealand superstar Lorde handpicked him to support her on tour earlier this year. .
Rio Ferdinand: Not3s
It doesn’t take a detective to figure out that Not3s is a Manchester United fan. The grime talent broke through in 2017 with viral hit Addison Lee, and it’s given him the chance to perform in a United shirt, as well as hanging out with Old Trafford legends. Here he is posing backstage with former footy pro-turned-boxer Rio Ferdinand, as you do. We’ve yet to see a selfie with Jose Mourinho, but it can’t be far off.
Matty Healy, the 1975: Pale Waves
Pale Waves’ early success is tied to fellow Manchester legends and labelmates The 1975. Frontman Matty Healy has been front-and-centre of the four-piece’s first steps, producing their singles, directing the video for Television Romance, and singing their praises at every opportunity. “I was just so excited to hear a band that was positioned in the left, an alternative band, that was so in tune with pop sensibilities,” .
Check out Pale Waves' music via their Sound of 2018 profile.
Frank Ocean: Rex Orange County
If the outside world isn't yet informed about Rex Orange County’s talent, a select number of hip-hop and RnB heavyweights have been given the heads up. The elusive Frank Ocean barely ever plays live, but when he chose to tour earlier this year, Rex – aka Alex O’Connor – formed part of his backing band. Frank couldn’t have Rex all to himself, though. Back in September, he could be seen playing guitar for Skepta during a Mercury Prize performance. But Rex’s first big break came when Tyler, the Creator messaged him on Twitter and asked him to record songs for his 2017 album Flower Boy. Alex’s vocals open the record, and he returns in standout track Boredom. Since Tyler got on board, he’s become hot property.
Check out Rex Orange County's music via his Sound of 2018 profile
Oh Wonder: Sigrid
Covering songs is a fairly regimented process – bands will usually cover a track by an established artist or an old favourite. It’s very rare they’ll pick out a debut single by a then-unknown. But that’s exactly what pop duo Oh Wonder did when they played Radio 1’s Piano Sessions live from Hull, taking on Scandipop newcomer Sigrid’s Don’t Kill My Vibe track. Turning a straight-up banger into a sombre ballad, they also gave huge exposure to the Norwegian artist, who hasn’t looked back since.
Dua Lipa: Yaeji
Co-signs from big artists don’t need to be complicated. Sometimes all you need is a short, sweet tweet, neatly summing up the appeal of an act barely anyone’s heard of. Enter Dua Lipa, who told her 1 million followers something they needed to know: “.” She was referring to Raingurl, a sweltering house track from Brooklyn-based, Korea-raised producer Yaeji. And she’s right, Raingurl really does bang.
