Sound Of 2015 Longlist Unveiled
The longlist for the coveted Sound Of 2015 title has been unveiled. The annual BBC poll, which began in 2003 and is created by the choices of industry tastemakers, has previously been won by acts such as Adele, Ellie Goulding, Jessie J, Sam Smith and Haim, before they all went on to huge mainstream success.
The newly-announced 2015 list includes all three of the Universal artists who are also competing for the 2015 Critics’ Choice BRIT Award, Virgin’s James Bay, Island’s George The Poet and Polydor’s Years & Years. There was further good news for two of those up-and-coming talents on yesterday’s (Sunday) new UK singles chart, on which Bay entered at No. 18 with ‘Don’t Hold Back The River’ and Years & Years at No. 22 with ‘Desire.’
The Sound Of 2015 list also includes such hotly-tipped names as grime artists Novelist and Stormzy (the latter being the only unsigned name to be chosen), rapper Kwabs and grunge-rockabilly band Slaves. Also representing the rock genre are Wolf Alice, while the sole American acts selected are R&B singer Shamir and rapper Raury.
Singer-songwriters Soak, from Ireland, and Rae Morris, from Blackpool, are included alongside Anglo-Australian quartet Sunset Sons. Electronica artist Lapsley, from Liverpool and London producer-singer Shura complete the nominations.
As always, the list of 15 will become a shortlist of five in the new year, revealed in the week of January 6 with the Sound Of 2015 winner to be announced on January 11. A video introduction to the 15 names on the longlist is on the BBC website here.
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