- Words Notion Staff
Tap into the 9 hottest artists ready for lift-off in 2022. Including: daine, Deto Black, p-rallel, yunè pinku, Kojaque, flowerovlove, SEB, Kali Claire, and Tora-i.
DAINE
You’ve probably heard big things about daine. “Charli XCX protégé”, “Hyperpop star”, “Emo icon”… But if there’s one thing we can consistently say about the Melbourne-based, Filipino-Australian artist, it’s that she’s not about labels – evolving, evading expectations and not being afraid to dip between genres to create her own lane is what’s set her apart. Influenced by everything from internet culture and the Soundcloud community to her local hardcore and metal scene, this year daine’s making the transition from writing music in her bedroom to playing on stage, bringing her own inclusive fan community along for the ride.
What’s been your career highlight so far?
Undoubtedly my first show. I wrote most of my songs alone in my bedroom at the age of 16, then spent almost two years in and out of lockdown releasing these songs, but not seeing their impact outside of the internet. I played my first show last month as Australian Covid restrictions finally eased up, and to see face to face hundreds of people singing the lyrics of my adolescence back to me, a few years in the making, literally brought me to tears. I’ll remember that forever.
Who are your key influences?
I find this question pretty tricky because my ‘influences’ aren’t always recognisable within my sound, but I would say that there are certain artists that motivate me and inspire me lyrically. Title Fight immediately comes to mind, and also Alex G… I just really like direct lyrics that still feel atmospheric and heavy.
What has been your biggest lesson from 2021?
That you have to be your own biggest fan and advocate. As soon as I started believing in my project and hyping up the music, the rest of the world seemed to get behind it a lot more. Excitement is contagious!
Who would you love to collaborate with?
Not really a collab, but I’d love to watch Grouper write a song. Like the whole process.
Dream performance venue?
Probably a house show in the Midwest somewhere. like a cheesy coming of age movie sorta thing.
What are your goals for 2022?
I’d really like to engage with other musicians more. Working on my e-festival Nocturne has been amazing in terms of feeling like I’m supporting a community of artists that I love, but I’m really looking forward to working with more people face to face, and potentially touring for the first time.
DETO BLACK
Deto Black’s identity as an artist is dynamic, ahead of her time and hard to pin down, yet completely distinctive. Raised primarily in Lagos and now based in London, the rapper, artist, model and creative dropped her debut EP ‘Yung Everything’ this year, packed with punchy tracks and her own visual universe to match (see: the iconic Bratz-inspired video for “three5zero”). If her breakout year is anything to go by, it’s a universe we’d like to live in forever.
What’s been your career highlight so far?
My top career highlights so far are definitely dropping my first EP ‘Yung Everything’ and having my first performance. It was an amazing feeling .
Who are your key influences?
Key influencers are Jesus Christ, my mom, Nicki Minaj, and Yoruba women.
What has been your biggest lesson from 2021?
The biggest lesson for me is really listen to my inner voice. She be knowing.
Who would you love to collaborate with?
A lot of people, but really the gworlssss…
Dream performance venue?
Ozumba Mbadiwe or Tarkwa Bay.
What are your goals for 2022?
My Goals for 2022 are to learn more about myself, put out more music and collaborate.
P-RALLEL
Building on his breakout single “Soulboy” with Greentea Peng in 2020, p-rallel has spent the last year refining his sound, signing to 4ZA – an imprint of legendary Black Butter Records – and working on his new upcoming EP. Having been heavily involved in music since he was a teenager, p-rallel’s grown an organic community of artists and inspirations, even calling Skepta and Julie Adenuga his mentors. Whether he’s putting together a new track or a night out, expect even bigger things from him this year.
What’s been your career highlight so far?
I think my career highlight so far is looping back to what I started the music thing for, and actually producing more music than I am DJing in clubs in london. Being able to live off this as well is something I’ve always dreamed of.
Who are your key influences?
My key influences are probably the people around me. Knowing we’re all in the same boat trying to get to the same place just helps keep me pushing.
What’s been your biggest lesson from 2021?
Live your life as much as you can, because people who have no clue what they’re doing will try govern you just to prove themselves. Just live. Listen to your gut.
Who would you love to collab with?
I’d love to work with Little Simz, Shy FX, Nao & Raye.
Dream performance venue?
Glasto main stage.
What are your goals for 2022?
Start the album.
YUNÈ PINKU
yunè pinku is a fitting ambassador for a new generation. The artist burst onto the scene late last year with a confident debut single “Laylo”, which depicts the struggle of an anxious introvert to put on a brave face for the world. yunè uses the rich history of electronica as a sandbox for her own exploration, drawing from sounds both nostalgic and cutting-edge alongside frank songwriting unveiling her anxieties. She’s already gained the attention of Joy Orbison, who featured her on BBC Radio 1 last year and later collaborated with yunè on a guest mix, and has provided vocals for a new Logic1000 track, cementing her ever-rising status in the annals of electronic music.
What’s been your career highlight so far?
I’m not sure really, I’ve been pretty lucky being able to work with such great people so early on! Working with Bone Soda back in November was great though, it was the first time I’ve ever performed in front of people so that was pretty cool.
Who are your key influences?
I think my production and vocals are inspired by very different artists. Vocally The Cardigans, Eartheater and Melody’s Echo Chamber would be huge influences, but then for production I love traditional UK garage/house like Sunship or Interplanetary Criminal. I like the mismatch of kind of indie-inspired vocals with these classic house instrumentals.
What has been your biggest lesson from 2021?
I think I learnt a new appreciation of real honesty and transparency. Whether it’s career or personal, I’ve just realised no one can fault you for just being honest and willing to kick up when you really want something.
Who would you love to collaborate with?
SASSY 009, Gorillaz or Easter probably, kind of different choices but both all banging artists. Guaranteed fan-girling with all of them.
Dream performance venue?
Le Carmen in Paris looks gorgeous, but I think in London there are so many great venues – like the Roundhouse and loads of open air performance spaces in the summer, which I love!
What are your goals for 2022?
I’d love to try out live performance and DJing more this year and keep cracking out tunes! It’s all quite open this year, which I’m really liking.
KOJAQUE
From his debut project ‘Deli Daydreams’ (a conceptual record that was nominated for Ireland’s Choice Music Prize), to his debut album ‘Town’s Dead’, Kojaque is an artist who makes a statement. With poetic lyrics, interesting visuals, an experimental outlook and even his own independent label, Soft Boy Records, the Irish rapper is building a legacy built on his own unique taste and takes. Having already joined tour dates with Lana Del Ray and Slowthai, next Kojaque has his sights set on Ally Pally…
What’s been your career highlight so far?
Headlining a sold out tour and finishing in Ireland to all my people was something I’m never gonna forget. How we got all around Europe, the UK and Ireland without having to cancel a single show I’ll never understand, but we did it.
Who are your key influences?
Kendrick, MF DOOM, Tyler, The Streets, Earl, Erykah, King Krule, James Blake. I’m influenced by all sorts, but these were seminal.
What’s been your biggest lesson from 2021?
Have faith and have patience. Shit’s not always gonna happen exactly when you want it to, but you have to keep the faith and refuse to give up and it all falls into place eventually.
Who would you love to collab with?
Knucks, Wiki, Enny, FKA Twigs, Remi Wolf, Kenny Beats, James Blake, Erykah somehow. There’s so many I could name.
Dream performance venue?
I’d love to play Ally Pally just for the spectacle of it. I went to see Fontaines [D.C.] play Ally Pally and I was so proud to see all those Irish faces play to a big sea of 10,000 people over in London!
What are your goals for 2022?
I’m in London, so I wanna work with people in the UK scene. Put Ireland on the map over here, give the Brits a run for their money!
FLOWEROVLOVE
At just 16, flowerovlove feels like a breath of fresh air. Her latest single, “Saturday Yawning”, provides the perfect accompaniment to a lazy morning with nowhere to be, while “Malibu” feels like a meditative afternoon in the sun. With a full project scheduled in, prepare for a summer soundtracked by flowerovlove.
What’s been your career highlight so far?
That my sound has reached people worldwide and encouraged many to show their afros and be comfortable within themselves.
Who are your key influences?
Tame Impala and Fatoumata Diawara.
What’s been your biggest lesson from 2021?
To be patient. In time things will fall into place. Just see the best in everything and have as much fun as possible.
Who would you love to collaborate with?
Tame Impala and recently Playboi Carti.
Dream performance venue?
Madison Square Garden.
What are your goals for 2022?
To make people feel nostalgia from my music.
SEB
SEB is a true rising star of indie-pop. Working as an intern at the famous Electric Lady Studios in New York, SEB soaked in the presence of huge names like Lady Gaga and Lorde, but he’s truly chosen to go his own way in developing his sound. SEB has embraced the multi-hyphenate label by producing and engineering his own music on top of his singing and songwriting. He burst onto the scene with his debut single “Boys Don’t Cry’ in 2020, and last year found a bonafide hit with his tune “seaside_demo”, which has accrued over 75 million streams on Spotify and been used in over a million user videos on TikTok. And that’s just the beginning…
What’s been your career highlight so far?
Getting to the point where I can make music full-time.
Who are your key influences?
Key influences are tough for me, but off the top of my head, the most omnipresent artists I refer to often are Jimi Hendrix, Tyler, the Creator, Kurt Cobain and I’d sprinkle some The Weeknd on there.
What has been the biggest lesson from 2021?
Allowing myself to really feel whatever I’m going through. I usually try to push any emotions to the side and steam forward. I definitely learned that’s not a good way to deal with stuff.
Who would you love to collaborate with?
beabadoobee would be pretty cool!
Dream performance venue?
I’m not sure if they really put on shows like that anymore, but Cafe Wha? would be sick. Jimi Hendrix was a regular there.
What are your goals for 2022?
Dive deeper into hobbies purely for the enjoyment of the hobby itself. I’m starting to get into wine right now and I’m fighting the urge to look up all the different sommelier tests requirements.
KALI CLAIRE
And the end of last year, Kali Claire cemented her status as one of the UK’s most talented rising R&B artists with her third EP, ‘A MAN’S WORLD’, released via global artist services company Platoon. The project adds collaborations with JVCK JAMES, Hamzaa and Aida Lee to her catalogue (which includes making music with Not3s, Alicia Keys and Unknown T), but stand out is powerful opening track “Disrespekt”, which makes a statement on sexism in the music industry. In 2022, Kali is one of the artists reshaping it.
What’s been your career highlight so far?
My career highlight so far is defo going on an EU and UK tour with Mabel!
Who are your key influences?
My key influences are my peers at the moment, because they keep me sane.
What has been your biggest lesson from 2021?
My biggest lesson of 2021 is to be shameless. I haven’t quite got there yet, but I care way less what people think now than at the start of the year.
Who would you love to collaborate with?
I would love to collab with more people outside of my comfort zone, maybe cross genres. But my dream collab is Ariana Grande. I feel like our voices would sound like silk together.
Dream performance venue?
My dream performance venue I think changes every time I perform, but I’ve grown up performing at the Hackney Empire – it would be a real full circle moment selling out that space.
What are your goals for 2022?
In 2022 I want to make something that sounds new musically. I want to mix my own songs (I started that this year). And more shows!
TORA-I
Photo by Alfie White
Tora-i once described her sound as “an experimental soulful experience”, and we couldn’t put it better. Warm, rich and often ethereal, the artist makes music moves you, effortlessly evoking emotion and painting a story. With exciting plans ahead, 2022 is promising new experiences for Tora-i, but we’re mainly excited for the music she’ll make about them.
What’s been your career highlight so far?
Someone got a tattoo of my lyric “how naive to be precious” from “Serial” on their thigh. I haven’t got any tattoos because indecision has me by the neck, so someone committing to something I wrote being permanently on their body is transcendent.
What are your key influences?
Freedom.
What’s been the biggest lesson from 2021?
The relativity of time, I felt like I was in a time-lapse the majority of the year.
Who would you love to collab with?
André 3000, to just witness as a student.
Dream performance venue?
Amphitheatres, or just outdoor music venues feel really special.
What are your goals for 2022?
To visit at least three countries, finally be able to do the splits and work on my plant care.
