NextGen: Ones to Watch 2023

This year...

Keanan used the Youth Music NextGen Fund to create his “Exhibit Green' EP, which has opened many doors in his career. From performing at UK Black Pride and the Youth Music Awards to being recognised as a “rising star” by GAY TIMES and a “spotlight” artist by BBC Introducing, Keanan also had his first BBC Radio 1Xtra debut as well as plays on BBC Introducing and KISS FM. The visuals for the track also premiered with GAY TIMES.

Next year...

Keanan now feels ready to present himself to a bigger audience and take things to the next level. "Expect the unexpected". 

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This year...

Sisters Naadirah and Rukaiyah released their debut single “Weight of Your Bones” in April 2022 and were soon after invited to support Faye Webster on tour, playing across the UK and Europe. The track earned 150k cross-platform streams. Follow-up track “Forward” was been named by Spotify as one of  “The Most Beautiful Songs in the World” and has since hit over 120k streams.

Naadirah of Qazi & Qazi also made history at London Fashion Week in September as one of the first wheelchair users to model in a major on-schedule runway show.

Next year...

Expect more single releases and more shows. Qazi & Qazi are writing and recording their debut album right now.

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This year...

Having only formed as a collective a year ago, 2022 has been massive for The Spit Game. From meetings with major labels to winning Best Live Performance at the Youth Music Awards, they also performed at the Royal Albert Hall. 

The group have been moving into short films, looking to cover all areas of Black Culture, not just music. Individually, BOODZ has ventured into acting and TSTIZZ has been releasing grime tracks. TL recently released his mixtape 'Expectations' with his producer Strange Dreamz featuring vocals from Zara.

Next year...

The collective plans on more gigs, more videos, and building a bigger network. "We want to be able to connect with all the best rap talent in London and support them in our community - people like SHAKES and SISSY who are doing mad things but still a key part of the family. Can’t wait to experience it all and bring the culture to new audiences."

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This year...

Pat released a ton of singles this year and is about to share his '£5 flights' EP, which focuses on his story so far and hones in on his Polish roots. The tracks released from the EP so far have been added to multiple Polish Spotify editorial playlists and a place in the top 10 most viral tracks in Poland. As well as all the success in Poland, Pat also had his first BBC Radio 1Xtra play which was a massive goal for him. 

Pat performed at is hometown Bedford River Festival, playing on the main stage and the BBC Introducing stage. He also played his first ever show in Europe at TwitchCon in Amsterdam. 

Next year...

Next year is all about growth for Pat. "I am hoping to grow every aspect myself as an artist and individual," he tells Youth Music. Expect more live performances, more singles and his biggest project yet. 

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This year...

Pritt has almost hit 2 million streams on her first ever Tamil cover song, 'Unakkul Naane' and got a job at BBC Asian Network to have her own show showcasing South Indian and Tamil talent from around the world. She had her music shared by huge Tamil superstars and actors and worked with Ratty Adhiththan on his 'Padaiyon' album. Pritt also went to Glastonbury festival with Levi's and Youth Music in the summer and has done a number of performances, including a gig in Switzerland and at the UK's biggest South Asian festival, Dialled In.

Next year...

Pritt has a lot of new music and a new potential job opportunity planned for 2023. She worked with a big name UK rapper this year which is due for release next year too. 

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This year...

This year LVRA gained support from Amazon Music’s Step Up 2022, PRS WMM fund and Youth Music, earning plaudits from the likes of Radio 1, BBC Introducing, Radio 1 Dance, DJ Mag, PAPER, DIY, The Line of Best Fit and more, with a most recent feature in DJ Mag. This summer, LVRA performed at Connect Music Festival and All Points East. They supported Sudan Archives and played a DJ set at the most recent NTS x Diesel Tracks at E1.

LVRA's most recent single 'LOOK' was released in November via London-based label Eastern Margins; co-produced with VAMPI.

Next year...

LVRA will be releasing new music for their next project early next year alongside a short-film directed by Oscar McNab.

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This year...

Michael released his 'Third Culture' album featuring work from some of his friends - saxophonist Alex Wilson, short-story writer Áine Kim Kennedy, visual artist Abigail Hodges and filmmaker Oscar McNab. The album centres around the topic of cultural identity and all of its accompanying artforms (music, literature + visual art). Michael also performed with DJs / artists, played a show on Rinse FM, sold records, hosted events, and featured in publications such as DJ Mag and on the radio.

Next year...

Michael has been working on new material and has been working with jazz musicians, experimenting by fusing live music and electronic production. He continues his residency at Simple in Oxford and has shows lined up at Call Super and Parris next year. Michael will also be graduating from university too.

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This year...

Youth Music's NextGen Fund allowed Lees to find collaborators who could help bring her EP vision to life. Released in March, she created four lyric videos and three live videos for the release of the project. All four of the 'Night Wars' EP tracks were featured on Spotify's New Music Friday and  several editorial playlists including ‘Cozy Blends’ and ‘Life Sucks’. Lees' first single was played on BBC Introducing and Triple J. She had a feature in The Times and was named CLASH's ‘Track of the Week’.

Next year...

Lees is preparing to release a second EP and will play a run of gigs in London, including a support slot for Arctic Lake at St Pancras Old Church on 2 March.

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This year...

Luke released his project, 'WHAT'S THAT, over there' and was added to a number of Spotify editorial playlists. After being played on BBC Radio 1Xtra, he saw his monthly followers increase 10x. He has supported the likes of Bawo, Jelani Blackman, Murkage Dave and more, and was featured in media titles Notion, GRM Daily, Mixtape Madness, Oculate, The Pit and others. Luke performed at Boomtown Festival, his first festival booking outside of Wales and played sold out shows. 

Next year...

Luke has planned his biggest headline show to date in Cardiff with a few surprises in store. He is gearing up to release his next project (with a few artist features). 

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This year...

Tia performed at some of the most renowned stages in the London nightlife scene and found her feet as an artist since Covid restrictions ended. She expanded her skillset by studying the music business, learning the technical side of music and began DJing. In November, Tia released her debut project, ‘Tia’s Talking’, including a self-edited music video and documentary-style vlog detailing her journey throughout the process.

Next year...

Early next year, Tia's follow up EP will be released with support from the Youth Music NextGen Fund. Tia hopes to expand into the dance music scene in 2023 and experiment with genre.

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This year...

In the first half of the year, Lemonade Shoelace supported YUNGBLUD at House Of Vans Mexico; the main prize for being crowned the winner of the European Vans Musician’s Wanted competition. He also supported many bands on the Irish leg of their tour, such as Sports Team and The Night Café, as well as performing at House Of Vans London and many festivals around Ireland including Electric Picnic. 

Next year...

Lemonade Shoelace promises new music throughout the first half of 2023 and an EP. He is set to play SXSW in Texas in March, as well as The Great Escape in Brighton in May. Expect merchandise and an exhibition of his paintings.

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