Ones to Watch and Live Nation have partnered for Artist of the Week, an IG takeover on Live Nation’s page to spotlight emerging new talent. Tune in every Wednesday at 5pm PT/8pm ET for a new performance.
September 30th - Movements
SoCal alt-emo act Movements formed in 2015. Following their breakout 2016 EP Outgrown Things, the group cemented a singular sound on their 2017 full-length debut, Feel Something. Eclipsing 40 million total streams by 2020, it immediately connected by way of "Daylilly" [11.1 million Spotify streams], "Full Circle" [6.1 million Spotify streams], and "Colorblind" [5.5 million Spotify streams]. Along the way, the four-piece received acclaim from Brooklyn Vegan, AXS, Rock Sound, Culture Collide, and more. In between packing shows worldwide, they joined forces with Alzheimer's Association for the "Deadly Dull" video and covered "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. for the Songs that Saved My Life compilation. During 2019, Movements entered the studio with longtime producer and frequent collaborator Will Yip [Title Fight, Turnover] to record No Good Left To Give. Movements spent the most time they ever had in the studio, which resulted in the most collaborative effort to date with Yip, adding another dimension to their music. Now, just a couple weeks after the release of their new album, the beloved Fearless Records act is teaming up with Ones To Watch and The Noise to showcase their talent as part of Live Nation's Artist Of The Week.
Learn more about Movements here.
September 16th - Lauren Sanderson
Lauren Sanderson has always sought means to speak her truth. Never one to commit to the traditional nine-to-five life, Sanderson began work as a motivational speaker after graduating high school, traveling around giving TED Talks - but she soon discovered this lifestyle wasn't for her. “At schools I felt like I couldn't be my full self," says the artist. "I couldn't dress how I wanted, I couldn't cuss, couldn't talk about coming out, having a girlfriend... I don't know, it just felt like I couldn't tell the real story." So, she turned to art.
Sanderson began her rap career in 2016 with the release of her EP Center of Expression. Via her tour supporting the project, the artist shared her raw authenticity and fervor for wearing her personality on her sleeve with a widespread audience, garnering a loyal following that helped the Indiana native independently boost her 2018 album Spaces to #1 on the R&B iTunes chart.
So far, 2019 has seen the unapologetic rap empress support Chase Atlantic on their PHASES North American tour and release a series of singles ahead of her highly-anticipated debut album, Midwest Kids Can Make It Big. Undoubtedly one of the most promising hip-hop upstarts, keep an eye out from more unrepentant storytelling from Lauren Sanderson.
Learn more about Lauren Sanderson HERE
September 2nd - Keedron Bryant
Keedron Bryant touched hearts all over the world when a clip of his song "I Just Wanna Live" went viral on social media just one day after the murder of George Floyd. The video features the 12-year-old singer in a "Black Intelligence" tee, as he peers straight into the camera and sings, "I'm a young Black man / Doing all that I can / To stand."
Bryant's spine-tingling acapella video reached millions of people, receiving nods from Barack Obama, Lebron James, Lupita Nyong'o, and more. Now, the young singer has signed with Warner Records and released a full version of "I Just Wanna Live."
The studio version of the song stays true to Bryant's heart-rending original, featuring the same heavenly vocal runs from the video. Producer Dem Jointz adds a hypnotizing bass line and evocative horn embellishments to the track, rounding out Bryant's powerful delivery with a soulful instrumental.
There are countless adjectives with which one could describe "I Just Wanna Live:" bone-chilling, empowering, gut-wrenching - the list goes on. Perhaps the most awe-inspiring aspect is the sheer self-awareness and emotional intelligence that Bryant employs in his performance.
Though the lyrics were written by his mother, Johnetta Bryant, it is clear that Keedron possesses a deep understanding of what it means to be Black in America. Lines like, "Every day I'm being hunted as prey" and "No matter where I be / there's no place safe for me," highlight the heartbreaking burden of survival that the world has placed on Black children.
Learn more about Keedron Bryant HERE
August 26th - Laura Marano
Laura Marano is a polymath after our hearts. The classically-trained singer songwriter is most well known as "Ally" on the Disney Channel series "Austin & Ally" but it's time for her music to take center stage. When she released "Boombox" in 2016, it was well received and helped her successfully add "promising pop solo artist" to her already impressive resume. Her 2019 debut EP, ME, built upon that excitement.
Learn more about Laura Marano HERE and watch her performance below
August 19th - Justine Skye
New York-based Jamaican artist Justine Skye is surely no stranger to the worlds of entertainment or social capital. The young creative has been fostering her music since the ripe age of 14 and utilized her massive Tumblr following to aid in the jumpstart of her musical career. Debuting her first mixtape Sky High in 2012, Skye caught the attention of major labels with her sheer talent and extensive following. So much so that by 2013, Skye had her first record label deal with Atlantic Records. Three years later, she secured her second record label deal with Jay-Z's entertainment label Roc Nation, the label associated with her 2018 release ULTRAVIOLET . Now the multi-faceted artisan has gone independent with her label Nynetineth and released her phenomenal six-track EP BARE WITH ME August of 2019.
The budding socialite incorporates salacious jazz undertones and that dreamy 90's R&B nostalgic feel with her Carribean roots in this new EP, making for a truly unique experience that will have you streaming her project on loop. Skye is continuing to broaden her horizons with the production and adaptation of her music, working with London-based producers Ari Pensmith and P2J, as well as the illustrious James Fauntleroy to inhibit such growth.
Justine Skye's remarkable talent doesn't end with her superior vocal skills. You can catch Skye on your television screens, appearing in eminent works such as Irv Gotti's BET television series, Tales, the Bruce Leddy directed remake of How High 2 and soon-to-be-released Keanu Reeves directed movie Already Gone.
Needless to say, Justine Skye is definitely a young innovator to keep watch for.
Learn more about Justine Skye HERE and watch her performance below
August 12th - Ashe
California native, Ashe has been turning heads with her balance of modern day pop writing and vintage vocals. Graduate in composition & production from world-renowned, Berklee College of Music, Ashe gained international exposure as a songwriter and jazz vocalist. She quickly gained notoriety in the electronic space after collaborating with the likes of Louis the Child, Whethan, Shaun Frank, Ben Phipps, Party Pupils, Big Gigantic and co-writing the Demi Lovato single “You Don’t Do It For Me Anymore”. Ashe accumulated more than 388M streams, 9 #1 Hype Machines in a row and had multiple tracks featured on Spotify’s Viral Charts (US, UK, Spain).
Ashe's solo career kicked off with her first single "Used To It", released in 2017 via Mom+Pop Music, accumulating 16.8M streams. Her subsequent EP The Rabbit Hole was premiered by Milk, who dubbed the record "a strong foundation for what will undoubtedly be a repertoire of music that insightfully explores emotion and the ups-and-downs of the human experience.” The Rabbit Hole has garnered over 23M streams. Live performances include Coachella with Big Gigantic and tours alongside The Chainsmokers, Shaun Frank, Whethan, LAUV, Louis The Child, Lewis Capaldi, Hobo Johnson, Quinn XCII and more.
Ashe is already making her splash in 2019 with the two-part release, Moral of the Story: Chapter 1 and Moral of the Story: Chapter 2. Ashe was selected as one of Amazon’s 2019 Artists to Watch, has a major sync in Taco Bell advertising and received press support from The New York Times, Teen Vogue and more.
Learn more about Ashe HERE and watch her performance below
August 5th - Scarypoolparty
Whether you know him by Scarypoolparty, Alejandro Aranda, or as the runner-up to the 17th edition of American Idol, one thing is certain; this young singer-songwriter's music will grab ahold of you. It is the rare sort of musical gift that gives credence to the word mesmerizing. Originally gaining fame with an audition for American Idol that left Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan simultaneously speechless and in awe, Aranda would go on to similarly amaze audiences and viewers across the world, throughout the show's run.
Now, with a fanbase that spans the globe, Aranda is shaping up for a 2019 the likes of which the rapidly rising artist could have only ever dreamed of. From going to regularly playing at free open mic nights in his hometown of Pomona to selling out a national tour instantaneously, this is undoubtedly Scarypoolparty's year.
Learn more about Scarypoolparty HERE