Vevo's always anticipated DSCVR Artists to Watch program began rolling out this month, giving a huge platform to performers who may become the superstars of tomorrow. It's no idle boast, as past choices have included Billie Eilish, Sam Smith and Giveon.
Sponsored this year by Ray-Ban Stories, and built in partnership with Meta, the program is poised to have a wider audience than ever before given Vevo's ability to get in front of hard-to-reach audiences. By way of a growing web of distribution partners cross-platform, the music video network's content is available on the biggest names in connected TV (CTV) such as Samsung TV Plus, Roku and Pluto TV.
"This is the largest class we've ever had," said David McTiernan, Vevo's Head of Artist / Label Relations. "We've got 21 artists this year, representing a lot of different markets -- not just the U.S. and the E.U. We've taken purposeful steps to expand the list into rapidly expanding genres like K-Pop in order to provide a global snapshot of who will break into the mainstream next."
The selection process begins in July each year, as labels, managers and artists all over the globe are canvassed and invited to "showcase what the next six to 12 months" have in store for new music, touring and their overall artist development.
About 500 names have been submitted annually to be considered for the Artists to Watch list in recent years. "It takes us the better part of four to six weeks to comb through those and pick out the ones that we think are the best fit," McTiernan said.
Once chosen, each artist collaborates with Vevo to release two exclusive live performances. In recent years, they've all been produced on bespoke sets, familiar to fans of Vevo's original content series DSCVR "that's pretty consistent across the different performances," McTiernan said.
Vevo releases these taste maker performances on a rolling basis with promotion across its CTV and cross-platform endpoints, allowing fans to discover these up-and-comers wherever they watch.
Those chosen have often been on major labels, and some even have had some hits. But "maybe not everybody knows them; they've got this momentum," McTiernan said. For example, 2022 DSCVR artist Mimi Webb of the U.K. has gained a lot of success in the past two years, including on TikTok, and she is poised to break out even more in the new year.
With a growing number of submissions each year, selected from across all the label partners Vevo works with, the program continues to expand each year. "It's gotten more competitive because artists are asking to be included in this," McTiernan said. "I think artists really understand that no matter where they are in their development, there's a way that we can partner with them and support what they're making."
The global representation in the 2022 class includes Colombian singer Andy Rivera, French singers Poupie and Ronisia, Spanish pop singer Sen Senra, Canadian songwriter Chiiild, Korean pop artist Seori, Australian singer-songwriter Clinton Kane, and the German-Ghanian rapper Serious Klein.
From the U.S. comes Louisville rapper EST Gee, California alternative artist JAWNY, Atlanta rapper Grip, New Jersey singer-songwriter Nija , Puerto Rican rapper Brray, and Louisiana country singer Willie Jones.
From the U.K., the artists include teen rapper ArrDee, synth pop singer Jessica Winter, rapper ENNY, pop singer Lola Young, singer-songwriter Mimi Webb, buzzy singer Pip Millett, and the indie rock duo Wet Leg.
In 2018, Billie Eilish, Lewis Capaldi and Ashe were among Vevo's choices for Artists to Watch, early in their careers. The list of esteemed alumni makes the program especially attractive to partners, such as this year's association with Ray-Ban Stories built in partnership with Meta, said Pierre Coleman, West Coast Sales Director for Vevo. "They have a new smart glasses product launching. And because it's a newer IP, they really want to make sure that they align with a cultural tentpole that we have in Vevo."
The program features a combination of a high-quality advertising experience and unique programming, appealing to both brands and viewers. While Vevo showcases the world's biggest artists, DSCVR Artists to Watch provides a different, unique opportunity for advertisers: the ability to capitalize on a growing community of young trendsetters and connect with hyper-engaged audiences.
"It's a huge opportunity for brands", said Coleman. "Aligning with tomorrow's biggest artists this early in their career is a chance to be on the pulse of what is next."
And if Vevo's alumni of the Artists to Watch program are any indication, the next class of artists will be mainstays in culture for years to come.
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