Ones To Watch 2019
It's that time of year once again where we look back on a fantastic twelve months here at Caesar Live N Loud, and also to the year ahead. This is a list of new acts I've discovered and others I've grown to love even more and I can't wait to hear what they have in store for us in 2019!
As always, to make a list of the Ones To Watch is quite difficult and I struggled to keep a list of 10 (this one is actually 12 but I've got a good reason). It was a great year for new music and I am proud and honoured to have been able to share music from these artists, and many others, with you guys.
alextbh
22-year-old Malaysian singer-songwriter alextbh is an R&B breakthrough artist with his lush, soulful vocals and infectious melodies. His groovy and sensual single Still Mine got me hooked on his music with walls, a stunning R&B ballad, cementing my love to his voice and musical talents.
Alex is a self-taught producer who at a young age taught himself music software programs so that he could produce his own beats. He has also designed and produced his own videos with friends. Alex is also a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community in Malaysia and has a desire to create a future for queer people in Malaysia!
Archie Faulks
London-based singer-songwriter Archie Faulks is not a stranger to music as he first released music under the moniker of Tenterhook back in 2014. Deciding to create a piece of more honest and heartfelt music he left behind that moniker and earlier this year released his debut single It Rains, as Archie Faulks.
But it was his touching single Blackout that made me fall in love with his music. I am a sucker for emotionally-charged songs with great songwriting and a melancholic atmosphere and this song has it all. To accompany the song Archie unveiled a music video which conveys a surreal dreamlike ambience that simultaneously straddles both the romantic and unnerving; an ethereal visual journey into the fantastic and unsettling mindset of an individual plagued by lonely, obsessive desire.
bülow
17-year-old Netherlands-based bülow, surprised me this year with her smooth vocals and infectious cuts of Electro Pop music. A child of the globe, the bright-eyed young singer has grown up in five countries including Canada, Germany, the UK, the US, and is currently finishing high-school in The Netherlands.
With 2 EPs released this year, Damaged Vol 1 & 2, she has gifted with incredible pop gems such as Not A Love Song and You & Jennifer. Her most recent release, Two Punks In Love, is a more stripped back, folksy approach to her music and showcases her versatility as an artist and songwriter. bülow is truly a very talented artist and I'm glad I get to know her music!
Grace Carter
British rising star Grace Carter has gifted us this year with stunning music that showcased her powerful and soulful vocals via songs like the emotionally charged single Silhouette.
Grace grew up in Brighton listening to the likes of Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone, which is evident in her powerful songwriting, which shows emotional and musical maturity. She has just released her debut EP, Why Her Not Me, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for 2019. Armed with emotionally exposing songs and a once-seen-never-forgotten live presence, make way for Grace Carter.
Lewis Capaldi
Since his debut track Bruises exploded online last year, Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi has been able to boast incredibly rare markers in his still fledgling career, whether it be selling a staggering 50,000 headline show tickets, amassing over 200 million plays across streaming services & selling out no less than three back-to-back headline tours, with demand outstripping supply at every turn.
He just appeared on my radar this year with the powerful single Grace which was accompanied by a funny video which immediately caught my attention. Lewis has such powerful and distinctive vocals that get you to feel each and every word he sings and that was highlighted in his latest single, the heartfelt piano-based ballad Someone You Loved. This song is so raw in emotion and it is so powerful that I can't wait to hear what he has for us in 2019!
Lyves
Following the release of her stunning single Certain Things (which reached No. 1 on Hype Machine), London-based, alt-soul, singer-songwriter and producer Lyves won my heart with her gorgeous and magical single Tell Me That You Feel It Too.
This is the chapter 4 of Lyves' Eight Rooms project which sees her releasing a eries of songs accompanied by striking short films – one a month for eight months. Having spent time exploring her inner emotional realm as part of a journey towards finding solace, through her music Francesca is able to put a positive spin on the emotions we’re often programmed to associate with shame or hardship.
Noah Kahan
Vermont-based 21-year-old singer/songwriter, Noah Kahan had a great 2018 which saw the release of his Hurt Somebody EP whose title track, featuring Grammy-nominated Julia Michaels, became a global smash charting at #1 on Australian national radio for three weeks and Netherlands’ national radio, while also charting in the Top 40 at Hot AC stateside. Kahan made his late-night U.S. television debut performing “Hurt Somebody” on Late Night with Stephen Colbert earlier this year.
The song that got me hooked on his music was False Confidence, the follow up to this EP and a taste of what we can expect from his anxiously awaited debut album set to arrive in 2019.
21-year-old Swedish singer ORKID, aka Matilda Melin, grew up listening to Nat King Cole and Sam Cooke contrasting with the pop scene in Stockholm. These contrasting influences manifest in ORKID’s ability to be both on-trend and mature beyond her years. At only 16, she used the Idol stage to transition from performing small town gigs to playing on an international stage. In the next three years, ORKID completed her education, improved her songwriting and stage presence and developed into one of Sweden’s most exciting artist exports.
This year she released several singles being my favourites the indie/electro-pop Obvious and the absolutely stunning ballad Hands, which showcases her versatility to deliver both dance gems and power ballads and got me excited to hear what she has for us in 2019.
ORKID
21-year-old Swedish singer ORKID, aka Matilda Melin, grew up listening to Nat King Cole and Sam Cooke contrasting with the pop scene in Stockholm. These contrasting influences manifest in ORKID’s ability to be both on-trend and mature beyond her years. At only 16, she used the Idol stage to transition from performing small town gigs to playing on an international stage. In the next three years, ORKID completed her education, improved her songwriting and stage presence and developed into one of Sweden’s most exciting artist exports.
This year she released several singles being my favourites the indie/electro-pop Obvious and the absolutely stunning ballad Hands, which showcases her versatility to deliver both dance gems and power ballads and got me excited to hear what she has for us in 2019.
ROYAL
Canadian pop singer-songwriter ROYAL first caught my attention with the release of her smooth electro-pop banger Vessel which is packed with haunting harmonies and showcases her lush, soulful vocals. Her single The Hunter stripped things back to a piano-based melody that perfectly backed her soulful vocals and created a melancholic atmosphere that I simply adore. These two singles are part of her latest EP, Heart of Shadows, which is out now.
During my Q&A with her she revealed her musical influences range from acts such as Lana Del Rey, Amy Winehouse, The Beatles and The Beach Boys. In 2019 ROYAL is set to release the visuals to her single Vessel and is planning a cross-Canada tour for the spring!
During my Q&A with her she revealed her musical influences range from acts such as Lana Del Rey, Amy Winehouse, The Beatles and The Beach Boys. In 2019 ROYAL is set to release the visuals to her single Vessel and is planning a cross-Canada tour for the spring!
Will Bowes
Canadian actor, filmmaker and singer-songwriter Will Bowes, who is also the lead singer of Toronto based soul-pop band Gold Complex, released this year a powerful pop ballad called Mad At The World on which he showcases his songwriting skills and velvety and soulful vocals.
There's so much emotion in his vocals and the song shares a message of hope, encouraging us to look beyond fear in times of adversity, empowering us to speak up about the things that are important to us, even when it's uncomfortable.
As an actor Will is best known for his roles in House at the end of the Street, opposite Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Netflix’s Alias Grace. He can next be seen in the feature film Clara, opposite Patrick J. Adams and Troian Bellisario.
Now I've got two acts that I've featured in my Ones To Watch 2018 list who totally dominated this year and are ready to take the world by storm next year with hopes of debut albums to come out in 2019. They are: Billie Eilish and Jade Bird.
Billie Eilish
17-year-old Billie Eilish had an amazing 2017 with her debut 8-track EP don’t smile at me, one of the most accomplished bodies of pop music to come from such a young talent.
This year Billie really stepped things up and got more notoriety by teaming up with Khalid to deliver lovely, a song that showcases the extraordinary raw talent these two songwriters and vocalists both possess. She followed this release with stunning visuals for her 2017 single hostage and released new singles that blew my mind, especially when the party's over and come out and play. These last two gems just got me hyped for her debut album in 2019 and I can't wait to share my thoughts with you guys when it's out.
Jade Bird
2018 has been an incredible year for Jade Bird. In the time since her arrival last year with debut EP Something American, the world has opened its arms to the 20-year-old pop singer-songwriter who recently released her Radio 1 playlist single Uh Huh.
Not only has she toured profusely across the globe playing packed-out shows in all corners (supporting First Aid Kit across North America), but she’s performed her breakthrough single Lottery on Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and most recently the UK’s Later…With Jools Holland too.
Her raw, acoustic-guitar driven ballad Furious nd the energetic Love Has All Been Done Before, have become a staple on my daily music listens and serve as a warm up to her debut album in 2019. Armed with one of the most refreshing new voices, and a talent for writing wildly intelligent and addictive pop songs, Jade Bird is one of the most exciting new prospects we’ve seen in a long time; addressing themes that others are less brave too - disillusionment, divorce, cheating, sorrow – all twisted into the realities of an independent-minded, modern British female voice.