Flo Feature On This Week’s Big Read Cover Story + A1 X J1, Beckah Amani, Debbie, Dylan, Eliza Rose, Flowerovlove, Ice Spice, Katie Gregson-Macleod, Newjeans, Ryan Castro + More
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM; 6 JANUARY, 2023 – Today, NME (nme.com) announce their coveted NME 100 list of essential emerging artists to watch for 2023. Since its inception in 2017, the NME 100 has introduced readers to the likes of Billie Eilish, Dave, Yungblud, Nova Twins, Fontaines D.C., Fred again.., 100 gecs, Girl In Red and Omar Apollo among others, all of which have gone on to see remarkable levels of critical and commercial success across the globe.
Following a phenomenal breakthrough year that cemented them as the future of UK girl groups, London trio FLO feature on the cover of this week’s Big Read and tell NME all about their whirlwind 2022 and their exciting plans for 2023 in their most in-depth interview to date.
FLO’s Breakout chat with NME in April 2022 marked their first-ever interview, and NME are incredibly proud to have championed them since the very beginning. Today’s cover feature and NME 100 placement follows the announcements that they have won the BBC Sound Of 2023 and the BRITs Rising Star award. Their ‘90s R&B-inspired debut EP The Lead was released this July to critical acclaim, which included their breakout MNEK-produced single ‘Cardboard Box’. The track saw immediate viral success this spring, and found fans in the likes of SZA, Missy Elliott, JoJo and Victoria Monét.
Sophie Williams, NME’s Associate Commissioning Editor (New Music), shares: “The goal of the NME 100 is to introduce readers to new and undiscovered sounds from across the globe, and this year’s list introduces our most diverse and exciting cast of characters yet. Offering a fresher perspective that champions unsigned and in-development artists, we’re excited to set the agenda for the year ahead in new music with continued support and coverage of these acts.
“We’re thrilled that FLO grace the cover of NME less than a year following their first-ever interview. They’ve established themselves as the most talked-about new act on the planet, and join Billie Eilish, Girl In Red and more by debuting on the cover alongside the NME 100. We’re excited to set off on the journey with them as they stake their claim as R&B’s biggest and most innovative emerging act.”
The NME 100 2023 is NME’s most diverse list yet, giving a wide array of emerging musicians a platform as they introduce their audience to new and undiscovered sounds. 63 acts from this year’s list include at least one female or non-binary member, while 49 are either based or were born outside of the UK. This year Venbee and Charlotte Plank join NME 100 graduate Piri (of Piri & Tommy) at the forefront of Loud LDN, a London-based collective of over 50 female and non-binary drum ‘n’ bass artists working towards a more inclusive future for the genre.
The list also speaks to the movement of independent dance artists that are breaking into the mainstream: Eliza Rose, Two Shell and Anish Kumar all released music via their own labels last year, with the former earning a UK Number One hit. Across all genres, a quarter of the artists included in the NME 100 2023 are currently unsigned, including Cassyette, Jim Legxacy, J. Maya, Monaleo and Milo Clare, demonstrating NME’s commitment to supporting talent at a grassroots level.
Following the success of NME 100 graduates Wet Leg’s Mercury Prize-nominated debut record, a number of equally fun and playful indie upstarts are named in the NME 100, with acts including The Dinner Party, Eaves Wilder, Hemlocke Springs and Cowboyy featured on the list.
Also highlighted is a number of regional rap scenes across the UK – similar to how NME 100 alumni ArrDee, Aitch and Bad Boy Chiller Crew continue to fly the flag for their respective local scenes, artists such as Hazey (Liverpool), Blazer Boccle (Bradford), and Meekz (Manchester) are representative of the underground rap communities bubbling across the country.
Mirroring NME’s global approach with dedicated editions in Australia and Asia, the NME 100 2023 includes a number of exciting new names to watch from the two territories. Babyface Mal, ENOLA, Royel Otis and Sarah Wolfe are amongst the likes representing Australia on the list, with Flower.far, Guernica Club, Kinder Bloomen, Lana Lubany, Balming Tiger and more from Asia. K-Pop acts including IVE, Lee Young-Ji, LE SSERAFIM and NMIXX also feature on the NME 100 as the scene continues to grow into a global phenomenon.
Further talent on the NME 100 2023 includes British rap duo A1 x J1, Tanzanian-Australian folk-pop artist Beckah Amani, soulful Stormzy protégé Debbie, Hawaiian ‘aloha-soul’ artist Eli Smart, Bronx drill artist Ice Spice, viral Scottish singer-songwriter Katie Gregson-MacLeod, K-Pop sensations NewJeans, Colombian reggaetón singer Ryan Castro and more. See below for the full list or visit NME.com to read the full feature and FLO’s Big Read cover story, and listen to the Spotify playlist here.
NME 100 2023
2022’s NME 100 saw pop visionary and global superstar-in-the-making Bree Runway top the list and star on the accompanying cover – following an incredible year which saw her collaborate with the likes of Lady Gaga and Missy Elliott and be nominated for the BRITs Rising Star award – with fellow NME 2022 acts Wet Leg, Nia Archives, Yard Act and Flo Milli going on to cover the weekly Big Read last year. Other culture defining acts featured in 2022’s list included Piri & Tommy, Central Cee, Tems, Gabriels, SHERELLE, Wunderhorse, STONE, Glaive, BIBI, Warren Hue and many more.
ABOUT NME
Launched in London, UK, in 1952 as the New Musical Express, NME has grown into a global media powerhouse that creates and curates content, products and experiences essential to fans of music and pop culture today. NME brings together the best writers and photographers to provide a multi-platform editorial offering that is at the bleeding edge of what matters most across the globe — be it music, film, TV or gaming. Intent on shining a spotlight on the artists and stories coming out of the world’s most compelling music scenes via NME.com, NME uses its distinctive voice and point of view to champion and celebrate established and emerging global talent.
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