This week, the BBC has gradually unveiled the finalists featured on its annual Sound of ... list, a poll voted for by music critics and industry figures hoping to predict the future stars of music. So far, James Bay, Stormzy, Raury and George the Poet have been named as runners-up in the race for certain ubiquity, leaving just 10 more artists as potential winners: Kwabs, Låpsley, Years & Years, Novelist, Rae Morris, Shamir, Shura, Slaves, Soak, Sunset Sons and Wolf Alice.
The winners name will be announced on 9 January, and while we wouldn’t suggest remortgaging your house to place a bet with William Hill, it’s more than likely to be Years & Years, such is their long list of achievements: one of three names listed for this year’s Brits critics choice award, they’ve supported Clean Bandit and Sam Smith, amassed over 8m YouTube views, performed on Jools Holland, had an A-listed Radio 1 single and their frontman Olly Alexander has an established fanbase after starring in TV show Skins as well as films such as Enter the Void and Gulliver’s Travels. All that’s left for them to achieve now is a Pyramid stage performance and a collaboration with Pitbull.
As previous winners of the prize have included Adele, Ellie Goulding, Jessie J and Haim, it’s likely the chosen artist will receive imminent omnipresence. So what should you prepare your ears for? Described in their press release as “future-spective pop”, their new single Kings is available to listen to now, and is a lot like Madonna’s La Isla Bonita channelled via the icy synth-pop wave of 2009. Take a listen and let us know what you make of it.
