HOT FOR 2017: International acts looking to break through this year

MAGGIE ROGERS

Helen of Troy he ain’t, but Pharrell Williams’ face is responsible for launching at least one ship for stardom; his flabbergasted expression listening to ‘Alaska’ during a college masterclass sent the web into meltdown. Suddenly, everyone was clambering to find out more about the unassuming artist from rural Maryland once dubiously known as ‘the banjo girl’. And while folk roots still play a part, a study abroad period in France opened her eyes to electronic music. Now, the two play off each other gloriously in a sound that’s as mesmerising as it is unique. There’s an EP-worth of material ready to share, but we’ll have to wait until autumn as a post-graduation trip around Europe will take priority. Who knows, though – she might pop up in Dublin along the way!
HEAR: A clutch of early cuts – including the starmaking ‘Alaska’ – at soundcloud.com/maggierogers
SEE: Pharrell having his mind blown on YouTube

NADIA ROSE

When Hot Press was growing up, reading the dictionary for fun was a sure-fire way to get bullied for being an uber-nerd. For this Croydon rapper, however, it appears to have allowed her to burst onto the scene fully-formed, bypassing much of the usual learning process to leap straight into the deep end. A cousin of one of the UK’s biggest rhyme merchants, Stormzy, you could argue the talent runs in the family, but the ability to twist and turn her way through complex verses, and wordplay that would make Noel Coward blush betrays a truly unique gift. When Azealia Banks was banished from a summer festival following a regrettable Twitter tirade, a public campaign saw Rose land the main stage vacancy; those high-profile slots will likely be the norm fairly shortly.
HEAR: A sizeable selection of cuts at soundcloud.com/nadiarosemusic
SEE: The video for ‘Skwod’ on YouTube

SERPENTWITHFEET

A joyously bonkers pseudonym isn’t the only left-of-centre thing about New Yorker Josiah Wise, a classically trained vocalist who seems to subscribe to the theory of ‘why sing in one style when you can do ten?’ He dubbed his approach ‘pagan gospel’ – later renouncing the term – though it’s probably a fitting summary of his R&B-tinged devotional tunes. He also made a masterful choice in recruiting the Haxan Cloak on production duties for his debut EP, blisters, as the former Bjork collaborator helped flesh out the sense of operatic theatricality that runs through the five-track collection. His ability to weave a tale – along with his direct and occasionally provocative approach – brings Frank Ocean to mind, though the comparison doesn’t quite fit. Rather, this is an artist truly out on his own.
HEAR: A clutch of tracks at soundcloud.com/serpentwithfeet
SEE: The promo for ‘four ethers’ on YouTube

ROB $TONE

For all that’s spoken of West Coast hip-hop, San Diego has never had a true star of its own – however, that may soon change. Jaylen Robinson when he needs to collect a prescription, the 21-year-old didn’t pull any crazy stunts to first make his mark. ‘Chill Bill’, which features the familiar whistle from the Quentin Tarantino film, was uploaded onto Soundcloud and YouTube and duly set the view counter ablaze. By now the hits are in the tens of millions, with mixtapes Straight Bummin’ and I’m Almost Ready – the latter the first release of a newly-signed deal with RCA – doing a steady trade too. An album with his 1207 crew may arrive before his first solo LP, but there’s a Midas touch about the youngster right now – keep eyes and ears peeled for anything he gets near.
HEAR: Just about everything the man has ever recorded at soundcloud.com/robstone1207
SEE: The visual for the utterly superb ‘Chill Bill’ on YouTube

SUSTO

Their name is taken from a medical episode found in Latin America, roughly translated into ‘panic attack’ – but the approach of the South Carolina alt-country collective is, thankfully, a little more demure than that. Indeed, it’s a sound that leans heavily on Americana and folk rock, with many of their early releases displaying a genuine timelessness that isn’t found too often. A support slot on The Lumineers’ current tour seems like a no-brainer, but the radio-friendly melodies and foot-stomping rhythms that should translate beautifully to stages in arenas and fields alike should pave the way for their own stardom soon. Sophomore LP & I Feel Fine landed within the first fortnight of 2017 – who knows where they’ll be by the time the year is through.
HEAR: The new record now, on Spotify
SEE: Live videos, tour diaries and more at sustoisreal.com