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Sound Of 2016 Day 4

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6 December 2015

By Alex Khalil

Today we have some vocally rich artists in our list, including, NAO, Billie Marten, and Frances.

Name: NAO

Age: 26

Label: Little Tokyo

Having been given a healthy and varied musical diet from a young age, NAO grew up with a huge family in Hackney. Her music taste ranges from hip-hop to soul and R’n’B, to UKG, funk and jazz. Having such a wide taste has influenced her own style, which she explained quite simply as a “fusion of everything”.  It was only last year that NAO put her music online, and it wasn’t long before she was discovered. NAO’s unique musical and vocal tone has drawn a mass of fans eager to listen to her smooth tunes.

The 26-year-old Londoner also performed on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury 2015, and received the MOBO nomination for best newcomer.

 

Name: Billie Marten

Age: 16

Label: Chess Club Records

Breathy folk from the youngest of the contenders, a prodigy from the next generation. Having only just finished her GCSEs, she’s already on her way to stardom. From Ripon in North Yorkshire, Billie has been making music since she was nine. She was discovered when her mother put a video of her singing on YouTube. As she grew on SoundCloud and YouTube, so too did her confidence and maturity when it came to her music, giving her voiced a honed, folky quality to it.

Along the way to fame, she has been praised by many celebrities, with even A-list star Ed Sheeran saying her song Bird was “stunning”.

 

Name: Frances

Age: 22

Label: PURPLE

Sophie Frances Cooke, self-proclaimed ‘little ginger cookie’, started as an aspiring violinist, until her teacher directed her to a film composer for advice as to where she should take her career. On a whim, she played him something she had written for fun – and subsequently moved him to tears. She specialises in husky, confessional vocals, with accompanying piano figures.

Signed by PURPLE, who also signed Sam Smith, Frances is destined to become as big a super star as him.

Only three more contributors to go until the end of this year’s Sound Of list. Join us for the fifth and final time soon!

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