Celeste Wins BBC Music’s Sound Of 2020 And Drops New Single ‘Stop This Flame’
The recent BRITs Rising Star Award recipient and promising soul singer Celeste has been named the winner of the BBC Music’s Sound Of 2020.
The recent BRITs Rising Star Award recipient and promising soul singer Celeste has been named the winner of the BBC Music’s Sound Of 2020.
The transcendent soul singer also released her first new music of 2020, with the fiery new single ‘Stop This Flame’.
“In essence, ‘Stop This Flame’ is a song about seeing it through to the end,” Celeste reveals in a statement. “Whether it’s about not letting go of love, not letting go of a dream or stridently coming through some form of adversity. The song has always evoked those feelings within me.”
The British-Jamaican singer is one of the most buzzed-about artists of 2020 and will collect the trophy at next month’s BRITs award ceremony where she’ll be performing live on 18 February.
Celeste joins previous BBC ‘Sound Of’ alumni including Billie Eilish and Scottish newcomer Lewis Capaldi.
BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac described Celeste as “a phenomenal talent”, while the singer – who hails from Brighton – said she’s excited for what 2020 will hold.
“2019 was an incredible year for me and I could never have predicted half of the things that happened. Some of my favourite memories have been the live shows. From performing ‘Strange’ for the very first time at the Lexington for BBC Introducing, going live with Annie Mac from Maida Vale, to Jools Holland. I’m so grateful for every opportunity I’ve had so far and am looking forward to what 2020 will bring.”
Celeste was among the 10 acts that were nominated for BBC’s Sound Of 2020, including Easy Life, Yungblud, Joy Crookes and Inhaler, along with Arlo Parks, Beabadoobee, Georgia, Joesef and Squid, who also made the list.
On 5 February, Annie Mac will host Sound Of 2020 Live on BBC Radio 1 from 8-11pm. A selection of the longlisted artists will perform live at Maida Vale studios.
“Celeste is a phenomenal talent, a voice that does not come around often and when you are exposed to it, is impossible to ignore,” the BBC host said.
“Her songwriting is personal and poignant but with universal appeal. I think she could easily join the longlist of Sound Of winners who went on to be global stars. I can’t wait to hear more from Celeste and all of our long list in 2020.”
Following the BRIT Awards, Celeste will head back on tour with UK singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka in March ahead of her UK and European headline shows the following month, including a night at London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on 29 April.
Listen to ‘Stop This Flame’ here.
Celeste 2020 Headline and Supporting Dates
16 January: Eurosonic Festival
2 March: O2 Southampton Guildhall, Southampton
3 March: O2 Academy, Bournemouth
5 March: O2 Academy Brixton, London
6 March: O2 Academy, Birmingham
7 March: O2 Apollo, Manchester
9 March: Corn Exchange, Cambridge
10 March: De Montford Hall, Leicester
12 March: O2 Academy, Leeds
13 March: O2 Academy, Newcastle
14 March: Barrowlands, Glasgow
21 April: Belleville, Paris
22 April: Printemps De Bourges, Bourges
24 April: Paradiso Noord, Amsterdam
25 April: BIRD, Rotterdam
27 April: King Tuts, Glasgow
28 April: Deaf Institute, Manchester
29 April: O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
1 May: Les Nuits Botanique, Belgium
5 May: Standtgarten, Cologne
6 May: Kranhalle, Munich
8 May: Pitchfork Festival, Berlin
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