Future Pop is a weekly email featuring the hottest new pop songs and artists that you need to know about. Subscribe here then read on, listen up and make sure you tweet me @poptastic to let me know what you think of my picks!
Pop Talent
I recently started up a new blog called Pop Talent which may interest you if you're an up-and-coming singer, band, artist manager, or just a pop geek like me! It's full of advice and opportunities for talented pop artists looking for their big break. Check it out here and follow the blog on Twitter.
Future Stars
Cimorelli are a group of American teenage sisters who have a huge following on YouTube (over 148 million views!) and are signed to Island Records and British music management company Turn First Artists. They're not very polished but have an “every girl” charm which could be a huge success with teenage girls if they're marketed well. They released an EP late last year featuring some of their most popular Glee-esque covers and an original track called Million Bucks. They wrote the song completely by themselves, only having help on the production from a little-known producer. That may sound like a recipe for disaster, but actually it's a really good song! I look forward to hearing more originals from them.
Natt is the son of Paul Weller and the boyfriend of actress-turned-overly-made-up-rocker Taylor Momsen, but oddly it's the latter connection that seems to have had more influence on his musical style. I think his celebrity connections will make it difficult for him to be taken seriously in the rock world, and his style of music isn't commercially popular at the moment. His taster single Make It Louder is repetitive and unoriginal. However, his backstory is interesting enough to get him more attention than most new artists and according to a recent interview he is in talks with Universal, with chairman David Joseph apparently interested in signing him.
There are many contestants from TV talent shows who have gone on to international success more despite than because of how they made their name, but Matt Corby may be the one who sounds least like a talent show star of any I've ever heard. Rather than the “imitation indie” of others such as Credibility Cardle or Matt Corby's fellow Australian Idol alumnus Lisa Mitchell, Matt's current single Brother actually stands a good chance of not just convincing indie fans to overlook his past but even earning him some commercial success. It's a well-written song with incredibly powerful vocals. I've listened to it three times in a row already and it's far from my usual taste, so that's got to be a good sign!
Future Hits
Here are 5 songs by UK acts that I think are going to be hits:
Tracklisting:
- Tulisa – We Are Young
- Paloma Faith – Picking Up The Pieces
- Modestep – Show Me A Sign
- Keane – Disconnected
- StooShe – Black Heart
Thanks for reading – I'll be back next Monday 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 spread the word about Future Pop to anyone you think might enjoy it and encourage them to subscribe.
Cimorelli's producer for “Million Bucks” is not little-known, he's a 3xGrammy-winner… and also, the single reached #6 on the itunes charts without any promoting besides spreading the word on social media by themselves and their fans!