Croydon continues to lead the musical pack with three of the top five BBC ‘Sound of 2017’ artists having strong local connections.
Winner Ray BLK was raised in nearby Catford, but teamed up with collaborator Stormzy at a Croydon talent show. The soul singer’s rise has been a fast one, and she epitomises the power that south London currently has over the charts.
Rapper Nadia Rose and pop singer Raye were just behind at numbers 5 and 3 in the annual industry list of who to look out for over the next 12 months.
Both are local Croydon residents, with Raye having spent time at the BRIT School.
“These three amazing young women prove there is something very special happening in south London right now. We have so many of the top names in the business with their roots in Croydon that I’m starting to lose count. The last few years have seen a string of MOBO awards for local acts, and now the accolades just keep on rolling in. One thing’s for certain Croydon has talent – there’s absolutely no doubting that fact.”
Councillor Tony Newman, leader of the council
