MJF Spotlight presents 20 emerging artists set to make a lot of noise this year. Enjoy this sampling of tomorrow’s sounds, across all music genres!
Many artists on this list will be invited to take part in live session shoots and MJF Spotlight events throughout the year. A special MJF Spotlight Night will also take place at the Montreux Jazz Festival this summer, like last year with Nathy Peluso and Priya Ragu.
KINGS ELLIOT
LIKE A SWISS VERSION OF BILLIE EILISH
- Our bookers love her because… “In her songs and on social networks, the Swiss singer talks about her mental health and her anxiety attacks with disarming sincerity. Compared to Billie Eilish, Lorde or Lana del Rey, the London-based singer produces pop music as she likes it, with its flaws and dark sides.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… alternative pop.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… King Princess and Finneas at the Lab.
AMAARAE
THE GHANAIAN ARTIST SHAKING UP THE RULES
- Our bookers love her because… “She hit it big on TikTok with Kali Uchis, but the Amaarae phenomenon is much more than that. The artist, who grew up between Ghana and the United States, is not afraid to shake up codes, singing in both English and Ghanaian dialect, campaigning for LGBTQI+ rights in Africa and mixing multiple musical styles in a popular yet experimental approach.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… a fusion of R&B and afropop.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… Rema and Kali Uchis at the Lab
GABRIELS
THE MYSTICAL VOICE OF TIMELESS GOSPEL
- Our bookers love them because… “The first thing that strikes you is Jacob Lusk’s voice, the kind you only hear once or twice in a generation. Formerly Diana Ross’ backing singer, Jacob beat his own path alongside two adventurous musicians. Their experimental arrangements take us into a time capsule, both steeped in decades of soul music and propelled by a completely new spirit.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… a mix of soul, gospel and R&B.
- We can picture them at the MJF with… Silk Sonic at the Auditorium Stravinski.
FRED AGAIN
ELECTRONIC STORIES IN CHIAROSCURO
- Our bookers love him because… “With his albums that take the form of intimate diaries, the producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist was one of the great electronic phenomena of the lockdown. In the vein of Godford or The Blaze, his songs are sunny and worth dancing to, but always with a touch of melancholy and darkness.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… electronic music.
- We can picture him at the MJF with… Mustafa and James Blake at the Lab.
ILIONA
THE ECLECTIC DREAMS OF A YOUNG BELGIAN SINGER
- Our bookers love her because… “We love being guided by the desires, moods and passions of this young Belgian artist. By her own admission, Iliona gets bored listening to an album when all the tracks sound the same. So she lets her instincts guide her, from autotuned ballads (“Reste”) to 60s-inspired tracks (“Si tu m’aimes demain”), always with the same touching sincerity.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… pop sung in French.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… Billie Eilish at the Auditorium Stravinski.
LAUFEY
THE JAZZ MUSICIAN WHO IS A TIKTOK STAR
- Our bookers love her because… “#ChetBaker, #BossaNova and #FlyMeToTheMoon also have their place on TikTok. And for that we can thank Laufey and her charming voice. The young Icelandic-Chinese artist, a student at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, is a hit with Gen Z with her jazzy covers of Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… jazz.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… Cory Wong and Rex Orange County at the Lab.
GRIFF
THE NEW JEWEL OF BRITISH POP
- Our bookers love her because… “It’s pop the way we like it: elegant and catchy. The young British singer, with Chinese and Jamaican roots, writes all her own music and has already been invited by Dua Lipa to be the opening act on her upcoming tour. How we wish we were in the audience singing along to the chorus of ‘Black Hole’!”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… pop music.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… Jessie Ware and Troye Sivan at the Lab.
CMAT
A COWGIRL WITH IRISH POP IN HER SIGHTS
- Our bookers love her because… “Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, aka CMAT, is revitalising country music by making it more fun, open and inclusive. With her American cowgirl look and a sharp sense of humour, the Dubliner takes great pleasure in breaking the codes of country, indie and pop music, claiming to be as much Dolly Parton as Katy Perry.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… indie pop with country influences.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… Miley Cyrus at the Auditorium Stravinski.
LOGIC1000
THE AUSTRALIAN PRODUCER WHO CONQUERED BERLIN
- Our bookers love her because… “The Berlin-based Australian describes her latest releases as “house music to wake up to in the morning”. We like this image which illustrates both the energy and the sweetness of her songs. Samantha Poulter can already count on prestigious fans, including Four Tet who took her under his wing or Caribou for whom she produced a remix.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… house music.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… Shygirl and FKA Twigs at the Lab.
LADY BLACKBIRD
THE NEW GREAT VOICE OF JAZZ
- Our bookers love her because… “It takes a certain amount of courage to take your stage name from a Nina Simone song (the protest song “Blackbird”, released in 1963). But when you have Marley Munroe’s vocal tones, fire and natural grace, this choice seems obvious.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… jazz with a touch of soul.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… Adele at the Auditorium Stravinski.
MUSTAFA
THE CANADIAN POET TURNED SINGER
- Our bookers love him because… “The Canadian born to Sudanese parents already had a full CV: his poems about violence and poverty in his neighbourhood made an impression, gaining the attention of Drake, The Weeknd and even his Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Now Mustafa is combining his virtuoso prose with a poignant folk music evocative of Ritchie Havens or Sufjan Stevens.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… folk with R&B nuances.
- We can picture him at the MJF with… Fred Again.. and James Blake at the Lab
NICKI NICOLE
THE RISING STAR OF AN ARGENTINIAN SCENE IN FUSION
- Our bookers love her because… “The 21-year-old Argentinian singer is establishing herself as one of Latin America’s future stars with her versatile music, mixing R&B, trap, pop and reggaeton. Barack Obama himself even included one of her songs on his summer playlist!”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… a fusion of R&B, trap, pop and reggaeton.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… C. Tangana at the Lab.
PINKPANTHERESS
THE URGENT SOUND OF A GENERATION
- Our bookers love her because… “With PinkPantheress, drum’n’bass samples and pop-punk melodies from the 2000s are teleported directly to the TikTok era with lightning efficiency. Her songs are so short and addictive that they are forever on repeat. At just 20 years old, the British artist has created a unique, 100% homemade and hyper-current sound.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… alternative pop.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… Ashnikko and Girl in Red at the Lab.
NOVEMBER ULTRA
THE TENDER VOICE OF AN AUTUMNAL MELANCHOLY
- Our bookers love her because… “We discovered November Ultra alone on stage in Paris. The room was packed, but there was not a sound. And for good reason: her talent leaves you speechless. We were all overwhelmed by the emotional power of her performance, her stage presence and the intensity of her tender voice.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… bedroom pop.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… Arlo Parks and Phoebe Bridgers.
PIERRE DE MAERE
THE UNUSUAL CHARM OF A UNIQUE BELGIAN ARTIST
- Our bookers love him because… “There is something immediate and magnetic about Pierre de Maere. With his dandy arty look, bowl haircut, auto-tuned voice and singular beat, he is both completely in tune with the times and perfectly unusual. At just 20 years of age, he is already seen as a future great of the flourishing Belgian scene.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… Pop music sung in French.
- We can picture him at the MJF with… The Weeknd at the Auditorium Stravinski.
SAM RYDER
THE VOICE BLOWING AWAY THE BIGGEST STARS
- Our bookers love him because… “While we were having online parties during lockdown, Sam Ryder was busy posting covers on TikTok. A good thing too, as he found himself praised by Elton John, Sia and Alicia Keys, no less! Since then, the Briton has been using his superhuman voice for his own songs, with the same success.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… pop music.
- We can picture him at the MJF with… Olivia Rodrigo at the Lab.
TEMS
THE FEMALE REVOLUTION IN NIGERIAN AFROPOP
- Our bookers love her because… “Tems is the new jewel on the Nigerian scene. In this very male environment, she stands out with panache, creating her own sound. With her deep voice and blend of R&B and Afro-pop, she was quickly discovered by the biggest names in the States, led by Drake.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… a mix of R&B and afropop.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… Lous And The Yakuza and Wizkid at the Lab.
CHLÖE
THE SOLO ADVENTURE OF A FUTURE R&B STAR
- Our bookers love her because… “Chlöe is going solo, having enjoyed success as a duo with her sister Halle. So far we only have two tracks to look forward to: her first single ‘Have Mercy’ and a cover of Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’. But if her fiery live performances are anything to go by, the R&B singer is already a star!”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… R&B.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… Rina Sawayama and Kehlani at the Lab.
WET LEG
THE SURPRISING HEROINES OF ENGLISH INDIE ROCK
- Our bookers love them because… “In just two tracks, Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers have brought the indie rock world to its feet. Playful video clips, witty lyrics, heady bass lines, pop choruses and punk energy: the formula of the two musicians from the Isle of Wight is intriguing from the first listen. Definitely the most original and fun rock band of the moment!”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… indie rock, half pop, half punk.
- We can picture them at the MJF with… Mitski and St.Vincent at the Lab.
MIMI WEBB
THE FUTURE VOICE OF THE GREAT POP ANTHEMS
- Our bookers love her because… “Mimi Webb enjoys grand pop music, the kind that gives you goosebumps, the urge to raise your arms to the sky and sing along. Inspired by her idols Adele, Amy Winehouse and Emeli Sandé, the young Briton shares her heartbreak stories through intense pop anthems.”
- The days of labelling musical genres are gone, but between us, let’s call it… pop music.
- We can picture her at the MJF with… BTS at the Auditorium Stravinski.