Eventually, it's going to stop being surprising to see dubstep artist Skrillex turn up on magazine covers and lists of nominations like the freaking Grammys. That time apparently hasn’t come yet, because it's still kinda surprising that Skrillex has turned up on the longlist of artists chosen for the BBC Sound of 2012.
For those of you not familiar with the BBC award, it's meant to highlight up-and-coming artists and has done so for Adele, Florence and the Machine and, last year, Jessie J. "Up-and-coming" is kind of a loose term–the criteria include not having a U.K. top 20 hit, not being a spinoff from an already-successful band and not winning The X Factor–which means that it can apply to rising hip hop artists like A$AP Rocky (although he's "risen" to the point of a $3 million record deal, which is quote a lot of rising) and the pretty-much-risen Frank Ocean; people with connections, like Bon Iver-touted singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas, and dubstep again (Flux Pavilion). And Skrillex. Yay for him?
Not sure who to check out first? We'll suggest two: Azealia Banks, whose ultra-badass single "212" (NSFW) was praised by just about everyone who heard it, and Stooshe, because any girl group that combines throwback R&B with lyrics like "Is Betty wearing a bodybag? Yeah, man!" will always get this writer's endorsement.
Full list:
A$AP Rocky
Azealia Banks
Dot Rotten
Dry The River
Flux Pavilion
Frank Ocean
Friends
Jamie N Commons
Lianne La Havas
Michael Kiwanuka
Niki & The Dove
Ren Harvieu
Skrillex
Spector
Stooshe
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