Future Pop is a weekly email featuring the hottest new pop songs and artists that you need to know about. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Monday. Then read on, listen up and make sure you tweet me @poptastic to let me know what you think of my picks!
Future Stars
Masha is the new protegée of top pop writer Claude Kelly, who co-wrote Party In The USA, Grenade and Price Tag and is often spotted on X Factor USA. She is currently building up a following on Youtube where she has so far had almost 100,000 views on her cover videos of tracks by artists such as Adele, Alanis Morrisette and Demi Lovato. She plays acoustic guitar and is definitely a bit of a rock chick, with potential to be the new Michelle Branch/Vanessa Carlton-type singer I think the world will be looking for in 2012. She’s also very pretty with a quirky fashion sense, although this old photo shows she didn’t quite look like that when she was first discovered.
I’ve been a fan of 19-year-old London-based American singer Kenzie May for about a year now, thanks to the brilliant YouTube videos she has sadly now taken down. It’s exciting to finally see her releasing something, albeit only as a featured artist. I’m not too keen on the song, Falling Down by Sub Focus, but it’s already getting Radio 1 support which should help to get Kenzie’s name more widely known. To hear her own music check out her Soundcloud. Standout tracks include Scars (which will appeal to fans of Marina and the Diamonds or Diana Vickers) and Heartbeat. She is signed to Sony ATV for publishing and a record deal is sure to follow soon.
As a writer/producer Maiday, who is signed to Atlantic, had her first no.1 hit this year with Don’t Go by Wretch 32 and Josh Kumra, but as an artist she’s largely unknown. Although she featured on some UK urban tracks under her real name of Rachel Moulden a few years ago, it will be her appearance on Josh Kumra’s new single Call Off The Search that puts her in the ‘ones to watch’ category. Of her own music all she’s put online so far is two covers: Missing by Everything But The Girl and Come As You Are by Nirvana. Not the most poptastic choices but she has collaborated with Mojam (aka Strider and Flava from Blazin’ Squad) so maybe there’ll be an unexpected Flip Reverse on her album. Well, you never know!
Future Hits
This week’s playlist features five songs I think will be among the first big hits of 2012:
Tracklisting:
- Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)
- Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again
- Roll Deep – Picture Perfect
- Lil Wayne Ft. Bruno Mars – Mirror
- Dappy – Rock Star
Thanks for reading – next Monday is boxing day but I’ll be back the week after with more Future Pop! In the meantime don’t forget to email and tweet me with your thoughts on the songs and artists above, and any suggestions for next week. Plus it would be great if you could pass the message on to anyone you think might enjoy Future Pop and encourage them to subscribe for more.
Thanks for the heads up.
Will be keeping a look out for them all – listened to Masha = wow.
~Hannah xx