around the live music world

NEW SIGNINGS

LISTEN TO ’S ‘NEW MUSIC’ AGENCY PLAYLIST HERE

has partnered with a number of agencies to compile a monthly playlist of new music, much of it released by the new signings to their rosters. Among the tracks on April’s playlist are submissions from 13 Artists, ATC Live, CAA, ICM Partners, ITB, Paradigm, Primary Talent, UTA and WME.

ISSAM ALNAJJAR (JO)

AGENTS Alex Hardee & Mike Malak

Paradigm

GOYA GUMBANI (US)

AGENT Darren James-Thomas

FMLY E ven if you don’t understand what he’s saying, it’s hard to ignore this tour de force. Issam Alnajjar is leading the way for a new generation of artists from the Middle East and North Africa. A 17-year-old musician from Amman, Jordan, he had been creating music for a couple of years, studying the songwriting of pop artists like Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran and admiring the creativity of iconic artists like Queen and The Weeknd, when he got some inspiration for his breakout hit, Hadal Ahbek.

After dropping a preview video for the song on Instagram, anticipation from his fans grew and by the time he finally released Hadal Ahbek, the popularity of it exceeded his expectations, as it currently sits atop dozens of music charts on Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer.

Born to an English-Jamaican mother and a Guyanese-South American father in Brooklyn, New York, Goya Gumbani’s relocation to London in his teens opened a new world of possibilities. Operating within various collectives throughout the city, his development as an artist and producer reached a breakthrough when he released his debut self-produced EP, Morta & More Doves, a dedication to his sister who passed away in 2018.

That release began a prolific period for Gumbani, releasing four further projects in the years to come: three mixtapes and an EP called GG & Bori Steps Across The Pond, produced by Bori from New York. Sinu Metu, a single from the EP, was chosen as one of Pitchfork’s must-hear rap songs of the day.

Despite his transatlantic upbringing, the flavour of Goya’s work is rooted in NYC hip-hop storytelling. He was recently named in NME’s 100 list of 2021 & ID’s one to watch.

ARTIST LISTINGS

A Wilhelm Scream (US) abrahamblue (BE) Alina Pash (UA) Angel Haze (US) Anna Phoebe (UK) AntsLive (UK) Aodhan (AU) Benny The Butcher (US) BETWEEN FRIENDS (US) Black Lotus (DE) Bleu Clair (ID) Cloth (UK) Drex Carter (US) Eden Prince (UK) Florence Arman (UK) Genesis Owusu (AU) Goya Gumbani (US) Hamish Hawk (UK) Hemi Moore (UK) Issam Alnajjar (JO) JJ Esko (UK) Joel Culpepper (UK) Juan Wauters (UY) Kay Young (UK) Laufey (US) Lea (DE) Léa Sen (UK) Lisa Subotic (ME) Lo Village (US) Londin (US) Tom Taaffe, Paradigm Alice Hogg & Marlon Burton, ATC Live Christina Austin, UTA Darren James-Thomas, FMLY Angie Rance, UTA Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent Tom Taaffe, Paradigm Darren James-Thomas, FMLY James Masters & Carlos Abreu, UTA Martje Kremers, Primary Talent Paul McQueen, Primary Talent Matt Pickering-Copley, Primary Talent Nick Matthews, Paradigm Laetitia Descouens, Primary Talent Will Marshall, Primary Talent David Exley, ParadIgm Darren James-Thomas, FMLY Caitlin Ballard & Graham Clews, ATC Live Marlon Burton, ATC Live Alex Hardee & Mike Malak, Paradigm Max Lee, Earth Agency Marlon Burton & Sinan Ors, ATC Live Felipe Mina Calvo, ATC Live James Wright & James Osgood, UTA Nick Matthews, Paradigm Alex Hardee, Paradigm David Exley, Paradigm Ryan Penty, Paradigm Kevin Jergenson, ICM Partners Mike Malak, Paradigm

HOTTEST NEW ACTS

MARCH 2021

THIS MONTH LAST MONTH ARTIST

1 - MIMI WEBB (UK) 2 - ELYOTTO (US) 3 - WATTS (US) 4 - PEACH PRC (AU) 5 1 MASKED WOLF (AU) 6 7 SPOTEMGOTTEM (US) 7 - SAM RYDER (UK) 8 10 NATHAN EVANS (UK) 9 18 A1 X J1 (UK) 10 7 CASSANDRA JENKINS (US) 11 29 SOFAYGO (US) 12 - CENTRAL CEE (UK) 13 - SOFIA KOURTESIS (DE) 14 33 KEVO MUNEY (US) 15 27 GENESIS OWUSU (AU)

PREDICTIONS FOR APRIL 2021

EST GEE (US), THEE SACRED SOULS (US), FOR THOSE I LOVE (IE), REGGIE (US), SR (UK) Artists not in the current top 15, but growing quickly Loshh (UK) M’Way (UK) Mac Wetha (UK) Martha Skye Murphy (UK) Memorial (UK) Mica Paris (UK) Michele Morrone (IT) Molly Burman (UK) Navos (UK) NiNE8 Collective (UK) NSJ Mali (UK) OBSKÜR (IE) Ordeal (UK) Overmono (UK) Pet Needs (UK) pinkpirate (UK) Rat Tally (US) Regressive Left (UK) Robert Glasper (US) Sainté (UK) Simone Marie Butler (UK) SNUBBS (US) Tailor Jae (UK) The OBGMs (CA) The Umlauts (UK) Tolü Makay (IE) Trousdale (US) Waeys (NL) Wu-Lu (UK) Naomi Palmer, Earth Agency Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent Michael Harvey-Bray, Paradigm Michael Harvey-Bray, Paradigm Angie Rance, UTA Heulwen Keyte & Beth Morton, UTA Scott Mantell, ICM Partners Matt Bates, Primary Talent Nick Matthews, Paradigm Kayleigh Lawrence, Earth Agency Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent Dave Blackgrove, Paradigm Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent Tom Schroeder, Paradigm Tobbe Lorentz, UTA Michael Harvey-Bray, Paradigm Tom Taaffe, Paradigm Clemence Renaut, ATC Live James Wright & James Osgood, UTA Jack Clark & Ishsha Bourguet, UTA Rob McGee, FMLY Agency Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent Kayleigh Lawrence, Earth Agency Kara James, ITB Sarah Joy & Sinan Ors, ATC Live Heulwen Keyte, UTA Colin Keenan, ATC Live Francesco Caccamo, Primary Talent Clemence Renaut, ATC Live