Singer/songwriter Beabadoobee has made inroads at radio, via streaming and in live performance with her take on ’90s indie pop and tenacious spirit. A BRITs Rising Star Award and BBC Sound of 2020 nominee, she was also recognized this year with NME’s Radar Award.
She signed to Dirty Hit and sister management company All on Red at the age of 18, after her song “Coffee” began generating thousands of plays. Informs manager Chris Melian: “We knew Bea was special from our first meeting. We’ve let her lead and just facilitated what she wanted to do creatively. She had only been playing guitar for a year before signing, but she’s prolific and has a lot to say. She moves fast and is surefooted.”
She moves SO fast that within 12 months, Beabadoobee had written and released three EPs and her debut album, Fake It Flowers, which hit #8 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart in October. She plans to continue putting out new music and otherwise remaining active until she’s able to support Flowers on tour. “We’d also like to focus on collaborations into next year,” adds Melian.•
Rapper (and professional boxer) KSI has spent the last 10 years building up a highly successful YouTube business with comedy and music videos, which helped lead him to BMG. He signed a global recording and publishing partnership with the company’s L.A. operation in 2019, reaching #2 on the U.K. album chart with his debut, Dissimulation, in June. The album is the biggest-selling debut of the year so far in Blighty, with more than 60k in sales, 93% of which were digital.
“It was a huge victory for KSI and an incredible testament to the work of my colleagues in L.A. and London and KSI’s management team,” says Gemma Reilly-Hammond, BMG VP of Marketing in the U.K. “He is a unique talent in so many areas—a truly 21st-century entertainer.” On the occasion of signing KSI, BMG SVP of Recorded Music Brian Shafton said, “His passion is music, but as an artist, he seems to achieve everything he sets his mind to. He has global appeal, and together with BMG’s global network, he’s now able to get his music heard by millions around the world.”
In addition to his debut, KSI has enjoyed multiple charting singles this year, including “Houdini” f/Swarmz & Tion Wayne, which hit #6 in May and has reached more than 200k in sales. Most recently, he was featured on Nathan Dawe’s #3 hit “Lighter,” also spending time at #3 with “Really Love” f/Craig David and Digital Farm. “Down Like That,” with Rick Ross, Lil Baby and S-X, and “Wake Up Call” f/Trippie Redd, meanwhile, were Top 20.•
