Museums & Music

BEAT100's Artists to Watch in 2015

2015 is set to be a brilliant year for music. BEAT100 chooses our favourite artists to look out for over the coming months.

Ryn Weaver

An artist that has appeared on many artists to watch lists over the last months, Ryn Weaver parachuted onto everyone’s screens last summer when her debut track ‘OctaHate’ went viral. With a fresh, poppy sound‘OctaHate’ made the previously unknown singer an overnight sensation after it was released on Soundcloud. It is no wonder that the track gained such amazing attention, co-written by Charli XCX and produced by the dream team of Benny Blanco, Passion Pit and Cashmere Cat, Ryn Weaver has some impressive names backing her as her fledging career takes off. Garnering over 30,000 plays in the first week, ‘OctaHate’ landed her at the top of Billboard’s ‘Emerging Artists’ charts. Born in San Diego, Ryn studied at NYU before dropping out after two years to pursue a musical career. This move has obviously paid off as the young artist recently signed to Indie label Friends Keep Secrets.

Raury

Raury is an eighteen-year old musical talent that is set to bring a completely new sound to our ears in 2015. Born in Atlanta, the young musician began rapping at just eight years old and taught himself to play guitar aged just eleven. The budding superstar has since written a song for the latest Hunger Games movie, made fans of rap idols Outkast and gained fourth place in the BBC’s Sound of 2015. His EP ‘The Indigo Child’ was released last year and assaults the ears with an amazing mix of RnB, Hip-hop, Funk and Soul. Brand new single ‘Gods Whisper’ (available below) delivers a beautiful and addictive tune, reminiscent of Kanyewithout all the annoying Kanye-ness. ‘Gods Whisper’ precedes Raury’s debut album, expected to be released later this year.

Intuition

LA based rapper Intuition has been on the scene for the past few years but hasn’t quite broken into the big time. Will 2015 be his year? With a soothing voice and captivating lyrics, the Alaskan born musician pulls in even the most rap hating listener with his mellow tunes. After releasing his first solo album ‘Stories About Me’ in 2007, the talented lyricist teamed up with producer Equilibrium for his second album ‘Girls Like Me’. Receiving rave reviews for their collaboration, the pair teamed up to create their own signature hip-hop infused rap. Their self-titled collaborative album was released in April last year and received rave reviews for their minimalistic approach and vibrant sound. The duo’s project together covers everything from girl-problems and bad habits to Intuition’s own father’s battle with Alzheimers.

Bea Miller

Bea Miller, an American child actress from New Jersey, is set to take the world by storm this year with her strong and sweet voice. At just 15 years old, Bea tackles Pop tracks like a seasoned professional. The talented young star came to the public’s attention after appearing on the second season of the X Factor USA under her full name, Beatrice Miller. Reformed as Bea Miller, she has now moved on to carve her own career and is currently signed under Hollywood Records and Syco Music. Her debut EP Young Blood was released in April last year with the lead single ‘Young Blood’ peaking at number two on the iTunes pop chart. Receiving amazing reviews for such a young performer, Bea has been breaking in her performance boots by opening for Demi Lovato on her recent Demi World Tour.

Jon Bellion

Jon Bellion delivers a unique blend of singing and rap style verses in his powerfully addictive tracks. Producing all of his own music, Jon creates a unique infusion of stripped back instrumentals with captivating electronic beats. The American songwriter, producer and rapper is currently signed with Visionary Music Group and has already started to build a successful career behind the scenes, writing the chorus toEminem’s hit track ‘The Monster’ and also co-writing and producing ‘Trumpets’ by Jason Derulo in 2012. 2015 may well be the year that Jon Bellion steps forward to take the limelight for himself, having recently released his third successful mixtape ‘The Definition’ which reached our ears in September last year and is now available for free download. Each song that Jon produces has its own unique sound meaning that there is something for almost every listener.  Newest song ‘Carry Your Throne’ couples powerful production with a cinematic music video to create a track that really packs a punch with the listener.

James Bay

With a voice that manages to be both beautifully soft and wonderfully gravelly at the same time, it is no wonder that James Bay has made it onto everyone’s ‘one to watch’ list over the last year. Apparently discovered after a fan uploaded a video of him performing in a Kentish Town pub, James Bay wowed Radio 1 listeners when he stepped in to perform a Live Lounge set after Lana Del Rey pulled out at the last minute. The BBC Introducing Artist has also performed on the Burberry runway and toured with superstarHozier in early 2014 and can next be seen performing in Camden’s historic nightspot KOKO in February. After releasing his second EP ‘Let it Go’ in May last year, the young artist shot to the Top 10 of the iTunes album chart. His latest single ‘Hold Back the River’ was released in November last year and has already gained massive recognition for his fearless vocals and obvious natural talent.

Written for www.BEAT100.com