the shortlist for the 2022 #BRITs Rising Star as supported by @BBCR1 is…

Bree Runway (@breerunway)
Holly Humberstone (@HolHumberstone)
Lola Young (@lolayounggg) pic.twitter.com/XKXIYe2u11

— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) November 30, 2021

British musician, Holly Humberstone, made waves with her first EP Falling Asleep At The Wheel. The 21-year-old singer released the EP on 14th August 2020 after signing with Interscope and Polydor Records. The singer caught the attention of industry professionals whilst performing at a local BBC Introducing show. The singer recently released her second EP The Walls Are Way Too Thin, the EP was released on on 12th November 2021 and sired five singles including “Scarlett” and “Friendly Fire“.

Speaking on her inclusion, Humberstone has provided the following statement, “Music has always been my entire life, and being nominated for such a prestigious award really means everything to me. Recognition from the BRITs is something I am struggling to comprehend at the moment! it’s truly an honour to be nominated for the BRITs Rising Star Award alongside two other incredibly inspiring female artists.”

Bree Runway is no stranger to accolades, earlier this year the British rapper and singer won a BET Award for Best International Act and was shortlisted for the BBC Sound of 2021 poll. The 29-year-old singer signed with EMI Records in 2018 and has released one mixtape and three Eps. The talented artist has been making music since a child and performed for Michelle Obama at age 14. Runway has gone on to work with many influential artists including Rhianna and Missy Elliott, the singer recently released the single “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” with British rockers Glass Animals.

Runway provides the following statement concerning her nomination, “I feel so honoured to be recognised by the BRITs in this way, it’s all so exciting especially as previous nominees have gone on to do such amazing things, I hope I’m struck by that same luck. Attending the BRITs alone has been something I’ve wanted to do for years, but attending as a Rising Star nominee is a DREAM.”

Lola Young has released a collection of Eps and has garnered critical success for her work. The 21-year-old singer got her start at open mics and won a national competition at the age of 13. Young recently rose to fan for her beautiful rendition of the 1984 Philip Oakley and Giorgio Moroder hit, “Together In Electric Dreams”. The cover was used in this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert and promptly captured the nation’s hearts.

The BRIT School alumni has provided a statement expressing her excitement to be nominated, “I can’t believe I’ve been nominated for this award. It feels surreal and completely unexpected. I actually have to pinch myself looking at the other artists that have been nominated previously. It is such a big step for me and I feel very excited to have been nominated!”.

The Rising Star award was previously known as the Critics’ Choice Award and has been included in the ceremony since 2008, the award’s first winner was Grammy-Award winning artist Adele. The accolade is supported and sponsored by BBC Radio 1 and has previously been awarded to Celeste and Griff. The award aims to celebrate and endorse British artists who have yet to chart within the top 20 with an album or have not achieved more than one top 20 single. The award’s winner will be selected by a panel of industry professionals and experts. The winner for the Brits rising star award will be announced on 10th December, the winner will be handed the award at the ceremony next year.

New track comes with a video that pays tribute to Busta Rhymes visuals from 00’s. It has amazing colours and alluring scenes of Bree and her girlfriends in a carwash, and also shots of the signer dancing around superbike in all white futuristic background. The song has a big chance to become this year’s summer hit.

Bree Runway’s “HOT HOT” enters the Top 20 on the iTunes UK R&B/Soul Song Chart at #18 (+3)!

: https://t.co/A3l3n2ypGC pic.twitter.com/YWxNYBHsQL

— UK News (@UKRapNumbers) March 31, 2021

Bree has released her debut mixtape ‘2000and4Eva’ in 2020 via Emi Records and UMG with well known singles: ‘Little Nokia’, ‘Damn Daniel’ and ‘ATM’. Album received four starts from NME describing it as: “a menacing and carefree offering — one in which Bree Runway manages to be bold, belligerent yet vulnerable throughout — from a different and altogether exciting new pop star”. It’s hard to put Bree Runway into one genre: rap, soul or punk-pop, she says about herself: “I’m all of those things“.

The artist talked about her biggest music inspiration with Vogue: “Everyday life. I can make music out of anything. Even that phone ringing, I could sample that. I grew up listening to Missy, Britney, Kelis, Lil Kim, Grace Jones, all the eccentric, out-there women. And men like Freddie Mercury, David Bowie. Those are my peopledem”. She added: “I feel like people experimented with sounds and crossed genres. It just gives me assurance in myself that what I’m doing isn’t so strange or left. It’s been done in different ways. You just need to focus on nourishing your way. I’m from here, but I don’t make Afropop or Afroswing or whatever. My genre is very much a fluid thing. You close your eyes for a minute… She’s a country singer. Oh, she’s a rock star. This is my comfort, this quirky eccentric world.”

You can listen to ‘Hot Hot’ here and watch a music video here.

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The BBC #SoundOf2021 longlist is here!

Get to know the artists tipped for big things next year ⬇️@alfietempleman@berwynberwyn_@breerunway@dutchavelli1@_girlinred_@greentea_peng@wiffygriffy@HolHumberstone@TheLathums@KING_SALIEU

Find out more: https://t.co/9xxxAGfdJV pic.twitter.com/WhDS6BDpaz

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) December 7, 2020

Since the inception of the ‘Sound of…’ prize back in 2003, the BBC’s adjudicating panellists have honed a soothsaying knack for uncovering future stars. Previous winners of the award include 50 Cent (2003); Keane (2004); Adele (2008); Jessie J (2011); and Haim (2013). All is not lost for the long-listed artists who fail to scoop the top prize though: previous ‘unsuccessful’ nominated acts include Dizzee Rascal (2003); Scissor Sisters (2004); Lady Gaga (2009); Marina and the Diamonds (2010); Azealia Banks (2012); Chvrches (2013); George Ezra (2014); Stormzy (2015); Dua Lipa (2016); and Billie Eilish (2018).

The Sound of 2020 award winner was Celeste, who has gone on to secure further gongs this year at the Brits, BET and NME awards. The Saltdean-raised vocalist saw off stiff competition from the likes of Yungblud and Arlo Parks to claim the prize last year; telling BBC News she was “thrilled and so excited” with the win.

The full list of acts long-listed for the Sound of 2021, which will be awarded in a ceremony on January 7th, is as follows:

Alfie Templeman. Multi-instrumentalist Alfie Templeman’s fourth EP, Happiness In Liquid Form, reached number 22 in the UK Indie charts earlier this year. The Bedfordshire product, who only turns 18 in January, has been praised by DIY for his “boundless enthusiasm” which “bursts out in indie songs equally informed by R&B and bedroom pop.”

Berwyn. Trinidad-born, Romford-raised singer and rapper Berwyn Du Bois also features on Amazon Music’s One To Watch list for 2021. His debut mixtape Demotape/Vega was hailed by Pilerats as a “potent, defining record” and “a message on how even the ones with the world pitted against them can succeed.”

Bree Runway. Hackney’s Bree Runway has been described by NME as “a versatile pop star-in-waiting“, with her November mixtape 2000and4Eva acclaimed by Clash as “a bold, dynamic and cohesive body of work“. The genre-bending artist, who has also been nominated for the Video of The Year award at this week’s MOBOs for her track Apeshit, has also spoken out powerfully on the issue of colourism.

Dutchavelli. Dutchavelli’s debut mixtape Dutch from the 5th stormed to number 8 in the UK Albums chart last month. The Birmingham-born rapper also scored two top 40 singles as a lead artist (Bando Diaries and Cool With Me, featuring fellow West Midlander M1llionz); while he and Stormzy also popped up on Tion Wayne’s top ten hit I Dunno in May.

Girl In Red. Norwegian indie pop merchant Girl In Red – also known as Marie Ulven – has been described by the New York Times as “one of the most astute and exciting singer-songwriters working in the world of guitar music, with a laser like melodic instinct that verges on the primal and lyrics that capture the sweat of real life.” The Scandinavian songstress recently scored a hit in the UK indie charts with her single Two Queens in a King Sized Bed.

Greentea Peng. South Londoner Greentea Peng – who featured on The Streets’ summer single I Wish You Loved You As Much As You Love Him – was celebrated in Wonderland magazine earlier this year for “preaching honesty, self-confidence, and hope in the future.” The singer – real name Aria Wells – recently announced a European tour which kicks off in Berlin next April.

Griff. Hertfordshire artist Sarah Griffiths (Griff) was nominated for an Ivor Novello Rising Star Award in July. The vocalist, whose 2019 debut single Mirror Talk was described by Vice as “vulnerable, emotional, sincere and empowering“, is set to gain a new audience with her single Love Is A Compass, which is used on Disney’s 2020 Christmas advert.

Holly Humberstone. Lincolnshire singer Holly Humberstone’s quietly intense, otherworldly vocals evoke the stylings of Lorde, Phoebe Brid and Lana Del Rey. Her 2020 debut EP Falling Asleep At The Wheel was praised by NME for its “staggering emotional clarity and gut-wrenching tales of pain and catharsis.”

Pa Salieu. Gambian-British rapper Pa Salieu’s debut mixtape Send Them to Coventry was described by Pitchfork as an “extraordinarily assured first offering from a young artist capable of surprising at every turn“, and an “invitation to a place and people unduly ignored.” Salieu’s unique fusion of West Midlands grime and African influences have seen him labelled a “compelling new voice” on the British music scene.

The Lathums. Wiganers The Lathums cite the rock and pop of the 50s and 60s as key musical influences, and fiercely resist being pigeon-holed as an indie band. In an interview with Far Out in October, frontman Alex Moore said “I just feel like we’re so different to everybody and we’re not like anybody else…We are a band and a guitar band but I don’t think there’s been anything like us.” Their EP compilation Memories We Make reached the top 20 in the UK Albums Chart this year, and the Lancashire outfit’s livestreamed gig at Blackpool Tower Circus this year saw them become the first act to play at the iconic venue since Madness in the 1990s.

Track 4 features Yung Baby Tate on the track Damn Daniel, Track 6 Features Maliibu Miitch on Gucci and a bonus remix of Little Nokia will have the highly anticipated Rico Nasty feature on track 9. Track 3 however, ATM, has not yet announced the special collaborator but Runway has confirmed the appearance from a surprise feature.

Born and bred in Hackney, London, this singer/songwriter rapper signed with Virgin EMI Records in 2018. Runway then released her first EP, Be Runway in 2019. The single 2ON off that EP became a hit, even being featured in Paper Magazines Top 50 Songs of 2019.

2000AND4EVA THE MIXTAPE
OUT FRIDAY 6TH NOVEMBER pic.twitter.com/K3dKwNFW4v

— ･ﾟBree Runway ☆ (@breerunway) October 28, 2020

Runway continued her rise in the industry with success in 2020 with the released of the single Damn Daniel featuring Yung Baby Tate which was dropped with the now famous quarantine-edition music video on April 30th. Annie Mac’s Future Sounds on BBC Radio 1 named Damn Daniel the ‘Hottest Record in the World’.

Her many released singles and one EP consist of music that span genres. Runway merges hip-hop and pop in a fresh way and though she is known for her london-rap sound, she is a powerful singer in her own right.

Runway contributes to the songwriting process as well, being credited as co-writer on many of her hit songs. Her lyricism is skilled and clear, fans can experience her creative expertise especially in track 8, No Sir, which features Runway freestyling, otherwise known as rapping verse on the spot.

The London artist performed multiple live songs for her YouTube series ‘Fresh From Home Live Performances’ last month. Due to safety concerns surrounding Covid-19, Runway does not have any live in-person shows or concerts coming up in late 2020 or early 2021 as of right now.

The new mixtape announced today, 2000AND4EVA will be released next Friday, November 6th and will be available for streaming on all media platforms. The mixtape is highly anticipated and the track-list, released today, is below.

Tracklist:

1: Apeshit
2: Little Nokie
3: ATM (feat. ???)
4: Damn Daniel (feat. Yung Baby Tate)
5: Rolls Royce
6: Gucci (feat. Mallibu Miitch)
7: 4 Nicole Thea and Baby Reign
8: No Sir (Freestyle)
9: Little Nokia (feat. Rico Nasty) BONUS TRACK