Taken from this week’s Future Pop mailer. Click here to subscribe.
It’s not even the end of November yet but the 2018 tip lists are already appearing. I suspect these will be more predictable than usual, since many artists have been promoted for the whole year already without breaking the top 10, as the charts have become tough territory for new acts. However, VEVO’s DSCVR did introduce me to some unfamiliar faces, including Mancunian female soloist IAMDDB (which stands for “I am Diana Debrito”). The 21-year-old singer has an edgy look, a fun and feisty personality, and a jazzy hip-hop style. She’s intimidatingly cool and confident, but extremely watchable. Her supporters include US singer Bryson Tiller, who she’s currently touring the UK with, plus BBC Introducing, Radio 1 and 1Xtra. It’s refreshing to see an artist breaking through from the north of England, and I believe the loyalty of the local scene has contributed to the millions of views on videos such as her debut single, Shade. When asked whether she’s signed, she gave a strange answer which I’m reading as: she has her own label, which goes through Sony.