Global Trendsetters and Tastemakers are Reflected in Vevo's 2023 DSCVR Artists to Watch List
It's no surprise that artists from Vevo's prestigious annual DSCVR Artists to Watch roster become household names. Think Billie Eilish, Sam Smith, Giveon and Lewis Capaldi, all alumni of the program.
This year's list of 20 rising stars included one who broke out even before the acts were announced. GloRilla, the rapper from Memphis, doesn't even have an album out yet. But she's had a charting hit, a segment of the incredible 50th anniversary hip hop performance at the Grammys and a first-time nomination.
That's just the nature of the process, according to Jordan Glickson, Vevo's Vice President of Music and Talent. "GloRilla is a really good example of an artist who showed up on all of our hip hop, year-end charts -- one of the most viewed artists, with one of the most viewed videos," he says.
In the streaming era, "everything moves so quickly," Glickson adds. "Now, it's not three or four months of development on radio before anything happens. It can happen much more quickly." An artist that was selected in late summer may have already broken out by the time Vevo's DSCVR Artists to Watch videos are rolled out.
The ultra-global nature of this year's list is also noteworthy. Chosen from a record 550 submissions, the final picks include three artists from Nigeria, a rapper from Spain, a vocalist from Italy and a hip hop singer from Germany, as well as talent from the U.K. and North America. The growing international enrichment for the program is fitting for a global video network.
"We're always trying to make sure our list is representative of what our viewers are consuming," Glickson notes. "We want the list to be representative of what's happening in music globally, and the artists that get picked are, by nature, representing what you see."
"Music is a global phenomenon," adds Aneessa Steilen, Vevo's Vice President of Media and Distribution Marketing. "It's unlike any other content we consume on a daily basis. While there may be a language difference, the beats and visuals of music videos or performances really have no boundaries."
Having such an internationally diverse roster on the 2023 list is indicative of the way music can be enjoyed regardless of where you are sitting or where you are from, Steilen says. The genres represented are just as diverse. For example, there's the art rock of Amelia Moore, singer-songwriter Ethel Cain, and Lauren Spencer-Smith, a teenage pop singer-songwriter from Canada who made it into the Top 20 of American Idol two years ago.
Most of the DSCVR artists are in their early 20s, but the exuberant Flowerovlove from London is only 17. And at 16, Ramón Vega from Mexico is the youngest in the program this year.
Others who made the 2023 list include Philly rapper Armani White, whose single Billie Eilish name checks a past Artist to Watch. And there is Carol Biazin, 25, who got her start on The Voice: Brazil.
The rest of the roster includes the dynamic R&B trio Flo from London; Ice Spice, 22, a Bronx drill rapper whose songs have become increasingly popular on TikTok; K Trap, a London drill artist; Nanso Amadi, 27, a Nigerian singer-songwriter in Canada; Oxlade, a falsetto R&B singer from Nigeria; the British drum and bass duo pari & tommy; thuy, a Vietnamese-American singer from San Francisco, and Wesley Joseph, a hip hop artist from London.
One hallmark of DSCVR Artists to Watch has been having the artists all perform live in Vevo's distinctive white set. "For a lot of these artists, the level of production that we're providing is not something they are accustomed to at this stage of their career," Glickson says. "We're inviting these artists -- who are in many cases just starting out, and maybe are shooting a less-than-premium video, or haven't gotten the opportunity to shoot great performance content -- and we're bringing them into our set, using the same crew that we're using to shoot established artists all year long."
It's also important to show the artists performing live, Glickson asserts. "It represents that there is a bit of staying power," he says. "The ability to perform live is very important for the longevity of an artist's career."
The DSCVR set has been redesigned this year. Now, there are columns, curved entryways and platforms, allowing the artists and their musicians more freedom to roam. That's important with some of the acts, such as the three-woman R&B vocal group Flo from London, which evokes the heyday of Destiny's Child.
"Flo is one of my favorites of the year" says Steilen. "The new DSCVR set gives them more space to express themselves and they really make use of it."
Vevo has also expanded their list of studio locations. The music video network recently opened a new studio in Los Angeles to accommodate its growing list of original content. "From the most exciting new artists to established superstars -- whether pop, hip hop, country or rock -- collaborating with artists to create unique new content is central to our mission of maximizing the value of music video," says Glickson. "Vevo original content is just one example of how we can support artists. Adding an L.A. studio to our existing Brooklyn and London footprint creates more opportunities for artists and [gives them the] added convenience of being able to work together where many of them call home."
Glickson is less forthcoming about naming favorites, but says he's glad the artist Carol Biazin was on the 2023 list. "Because of COVID, we hadn't been able to include an artist from Brazil the last couple of years," he recalls, referring to travel restrictions. In that sense, this year's list represents "close to a return to normalcy."
The forced lockdowns also led to other changes, at least for some -- allowing artists to spend more time honing their talent in the studio. "Emerging artists spend the early parts of their career just on the road, constantly moving around, playing small venues city to city, all over the place," Glickson explains. "For better or worse, they didn't necessarily have that opportunity the last couple of years, and really had to focus on their craft."
Next year's 10th anniversary of DSCVR Artists to Watch will be a great opportunity to celebrate the artists who have benefitted but also the brands that have been a part of it, Steilen says. "It's great that it's been 10 years, because it cements Vevo as a tastemaker," she adds.
"We have built a reputation that brands can really trust," she concludes. "It's a huge advertising opportunity for brands to align with artists and their fans that are on the cusp of culture and setting the trends. And when brands align to that younger trend-setting audience, they're building a loyal and influential customer."
Photo courtesy of Vevo.
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Roger Catlin
Roger Catlin is a longtime arts and entertainment writer and critic who lives in Washington, D.C. A former rock critic and TV critic at The Hartford Courant for many years, he has written for Smithsonian Magazine.com, The Washington Post, AARP the Magazine, …
