FIVE ACTS TO WATCH
IN 2022
As the year winds down, here are a handful of acts who've started to buzz and are looking to make a lot more noise in ’22. You'll note that most of these are in the pop/rock mode, which appears to be gaining new strength.
EMMY MELI: The 20-year-old SoCal native started at TikTok, then took off at the DSPs; her “I AM WOMAN” (Disruptor/Arista; not to be confused with the Helen Reddy chestnut) is at nearly 28m worldwide streams on Spotify and has now been added to SiriusXM’s Hits 1. With a big voice and brash presence, Meli will be a pop contender at the dawn of the new year. She’s repped by Aaryn Deal for management and CAA for booking.
THE WALTERS: This Chicago band, on Warner, dropped the creamy pop-rock ditty “I Love You So” in 2014. But thanks to the magic of TikTok, the song’s come roaring back—in fact, it’s at 216m worldwide on Spotify alone. Managed by Rob Cavallo and Alex Brahl, the troupe’s recent sold-out shows at the Bowery Ballroom and The Regent have amped up anticipation for their upcoming appearance at L.A.’s Wiltern. Greg Horbal at APA has them for touring.
VUNDABAR: This unsigned alternative-rock trio from Boston dropped “Alien Blues” in 2015 but TikTok has supercharged it; the song has racked up nearly 44m Spotify streams. A new album (on indie Gawk) is slated for February. After a fierce courtship by the majors, the band forsook a big label deal in favor of a pact with Swedish distribbery Amuse. They’re currently between managers and repped for touring by APA’s Horbal and Andrew Ellis.
JESSIE MURPH: With a velvet-and-sandpaper voice and emotive delivery, Disruptor/Columbia’s 17-year-old singer/songwriter could be the next big name in bedroom pop. Her “Always Been You" has amassed nearly 13m streams, and she has several other songs that are almost as big, indicating a true developing-artist story. She’s also been selling singles in impressive numbers. Murph is repped for live by Cheryl Pagilerani and Jeffrey Hasson at UTA.
AUSTIN GEORGE: Another TikTok breakout who moved swiftly to Spotify, this 20-year-old Dallas singer/songwriter’s “Hands on You” (on Brandon Silverstein’s S10 Records and Avex’s SELENE) is already getting test spins and love on KIIS-FM and KMVQ, with much Spotify support on top playlists like Pop Rising, New Music Friday and Pop Sauce.
