Global grime, political struggle and a Chinese pop explosion – what will be 2017’s music trends?

The video expert

David Mogendorff – Artist content and services, YouTube and Google Play Music

I am seeing a broad group of self-starting artists who are finding an audience on YouTube, and building careers before they get mainstream awareness. They might have started doing covers, but are now moving into original material, and they have a powerful, direct relationship with their fans. Dodie Clark has a huge following – she has just released a brilliant EP and still does a lot of vlogging. Bry just supported Twenty One Pilots on tour – he has 390,000 subscribers and has made loads of different types of videos; his fans have a really deep connection with him. When artists communicate through video in unique ways that suits their personality, it can be a creative outlet like touring or artwork. I think more people are going to start doing it in a really interesting way.

There’s an interesting artist called Poppy. She has a strong J- and K-pop influence, and has started making her own music. Her vlogs are like social commentary, and touch on the anxieties of modern life; for example, Am I okay? is a video about the pressures on kids from social media. It’s a really interesting way of communicating, personal but strange. There’s also a US singer called LP, whose song Lost on You really exploded. A lot of the initial views came from Greece and Turkey, where there are massive online audiences, and it’s also spreading globally from there. UK grime is evolving and spreading globally, from Nadia Rose to the Blackpool grime scene that Noisey documented, and it will be fascinating to see what happens next with general hip-hop such as Loyle Carner, Dave and Stefflon Don.

One to watch

An artist called Jesse Reyez; she is an awesome singer with tonnes of personality. I think she’s still unsigned, but if that’s the case it won’t be for long.

The DJ

Clara Amfo – Radio 1 presenter

Last year was a massive year for traditional black music genres. I heard so much progressive and amazing, non-insipid R&B and it was obviously a big year for grime music. I think that will carry on into this year in more hybrid forms, especially in terms of producers. I expect we will see people crossing over a bit more. I remember when grime was supposedly dead and now you see mainstream pop artists and rock bands who would give their left arm to get any decent grime MC as the feature on their song. That wouldn’t have happened a few years ago.

In pop music, you can have guys and girls who all look amazing and they might have brilliant songs, but if they can’t bring it to life, if they haven’t got the spunk to bring what they’re supposedly trying to sell to interviews, or on the radio or online, I’m not going to be interested. Christine and the Queens keeps pop music interesting. With her, and someone such as Syd tha Kid, who has a solo album out this year that I am excited about, you have very uncompromising artists; nothing about them is forced. I hope this is the year of the truly enigmatic pop star.

One to watch

I know he’s been around for ages, but Sampha’s album is already in my top 5 of the year. And Raye is wicked.

The trendsetter

Finn Mactaggart – Former creative director of PC Music, now performing as Pig

I don’t know if it’s going to happen in 2017 or 2030, but I’m sure there’s going to be a big crossover Asian act who will sweep the floor in the global music market. In 2015, I worked with a Chinese musician called Chris Lee, and the ambition and money behind her project was incredibly exciting because China’s creative industry is very new. I became fascinated by their pop market and can imagine an Asian star or group with enough awareness of a western audience totally dominating. I had a meeting with Syco, Simon Cowell’s label, and I know he’s very interested in the Korean boyband market.

I think we are probably going to see a powerful sense of struggle among a lot of artists. It’s been a dull past five years culturally, and I think we’re going to hear what a few years of a neoliberal approach to cultural management sounds like when people get very frustrated and angry. I think there will be artists who come through who are in their very existence political without having to attach themselves to any specific agenda. Just being present musically or even being alive is a political act in itself.

One thing I’m worried about is a “new rock revolution”. In 1999, Billy Childish insisted painting was the only true form of art: it suddenly birthed the stuckist art movement, a contemporary conformist aesthetic. It’s where this bearded hipster idea came from, and bands such as the Libertines. It was so conservative compared to what was going on with Aphex Twin and the other fantastic art in the early 00s. I’m worried about a conservative backlash, in which someone demands we go back to playing guitars and banjos because that’s the only true form of expression.

One to watch

Serpentwithfeet’s Blisters EP was one of the first moments in a good five years where I had to not pay attention to anything but closing my eyes and listening. His music consumes me.

The hitmaker

Charli XCX – Pop star, hit songwriter and founder of Vroom Vroom Records

More than ever, to become a successful artist, you have to have an opinion and know what you want. There’s no space for people who play inside the box any more. I don’t believe listeners want that and I don’t think the internet or media in general allows much space for artists who aren’t outspoken, whether that’s verbally or visually.

In terms of political awareness in music this year, I think it depends on the kind of artist: some artists create brilliant political music that is really important and there is definitely a lot of material to draw from last year, so I’m sure we’ll hear that this year.

In 2017, I think dancehall-infused pop music will remain prominent and I feel like hip-hop will still be dominant, especially songs that are atmospheric and emotional. Dancehall and sounds from Jamaica are infiltrating the mainstream more than ever, while it’s an area of culture that artists and producers have been drawing inspiration from for ages, it’s being pushed into the mainstream in a big way with Popcaan/Diplo/Major Lazer being so successful over the past few years. That’s really exciting.

One to watch

Raye and also Stefflon Don. Both of them are superstars and such incredible writers. They’re going to take over the world.

The esoteric expert

Xanthe Fuller – Head of communications, Mixcloud

Ambient has always been hugely popular on Mixcloud. Our chillout curators – such as Gelka from Budapest, Low Light Mixes from Wisconsin and Chris Coco from London – are some of the stars of the platform. When people come to Mixcloud, they often listen for hours while they work or have people round in the evening, which could explain the rise of the ambient and chillout genres, as they can create an interesting atmosphere.

In conjunction with the rise of mobile listening and constant expansion of digital music, vinyl is making a comeback, with record collectors benefiting from the wealth of old and rare Asian curios, which, according to Seoul Community Radio, are so in demand in eclectic western record shops. We might see an increasing number of artists shaping their albums to fit that format again in the future.

Red Light Radio in Amsterdam upload a wealth of experimental and unusual shows and they have commented that people seem increasingly open-minded and curious. They are not just demanding to hear what they know. They feel that niche is gaining popularity, as seen with the success of festivals such as Strange Sounds From Beyond.

There has definitely been a rise in African-inspired electronic music. One of last year’s biggest successes for Manchester’s Reform Radio was a show called South of the Boredom made by an artist in South Africa called ANG. They have seen a rising interest in not just the traditional sounds from that region, but more contemporary electronic styles. Station controller Sam Oliviera thinks it’s only a matter of time until we start to hear more UK-produced, African-inspired bass and grime. Our jazz curators Jazzcat from Italy and Dubbel Dee from Belgium continue to perform really well, and I’ve noticed the return of broken beat, and new interesting twists on grime – check out YGG’s recent NTS show – and the continuing expansion of footwork from labels such as Hyperdub and Planet Mu.

One to watch

Sampa the Great brings a breadth of cultures and influences to her work. She has the perfect blend of strong, meaningful lyrics, unusual and original rhythms and fantastic production.

The promoter

Tom Baker – Founder of Eat Your Own Ears

Streaming services such as Apple and Spotify allow people to discover so much that the demand in cities for gigs and clubs is amazing at the moment. It’s definitely harder for bands to become really big, and it’s also hard booking festivals now – events don’t have that identity that they once had, because people’s tastes are so broad. To stand out, I think festivals need to bring their own identity in other ways – at Field Day this year, we’re using a huge steel structure for Aphex Twin, in terms of PA and lights, so it’s going to be the perfect environment for him.

There are still emerging styles in the bands we are booking, though, such as the psych-rock scene that Tame Impala triggered, with Pond and King Gizzard evolving that sound. Then you’ve got an electronic sound that Disclosure pioneered. I think popwise a lot has and will be influenced by what Skrillex did with Justin Bieber – well produced, very self-aware songwriting with whispery vocals. In terms of new genres, I’ve noticed there’s an influence of trip-hop and acid jazz in a lot of bands we are booking. I can’t imagine groups have been sitting there saying “We really want to sound like Jamiroquai with Dubstar” – they have just chanced upon a sound from that era. We are also seeing a lot more groups reforming, making new albums, and that fanbase is continuing to grow – either people are discovering bands for the first time, or they are nostalgic for when that group appeared the first time. I think that’s exciting.

One to watch

Aine Cahill is a brand new, unsigned songwriter who has a natural passion. This year could be a good year for her – a slow build, but when it goes, I think it could pop!

The talent scout

Caroline SM – A&R Manager at XL

UK rap is going to continue to shine through in a big way. As well as the New Gen album, we have albums coming from some of the country’s biggest underground rappers: Stormzy, Nines and J Hus. Amazing young R&B artists such as Ray BLK and Jorja Smith will do big things in 2017, too – they’re really important for the growth of this genre in the UK. These artists are totally uncompromised stylistically and really understand their audiences and feed them what they want. They are all consistent with good quality music, headstrong in their attitudes and trying to push musical boundaries for their genre.

While the genres have been around for a long time, I think African and Caribbean styles and stars such as Wizkid and Popcaan are having a huge effect on the hits we see in the charts and will continue to, from Drake and Rihanna to Justin Bieber, right through to the underground rap scene here in the UK, with artists such as Stefflon Don, Belly Squad, Abra Cadabra and Yxng Bane.

With streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube getting bigger and bigger, the fans are really in control of what they listen to, and not the radio or TV any more. So, where people used to be forcefed their musical tastes, they can now discover for themselves. Self discovery and having that “I found it first” impulse towards new artists is the greatest way for new sounds and styles to emerge.

One to watch

Nines’ One Foot Out sounds like one of the most triumphant bodies of UK rap I’ve heard in a long time. The success of it is going to be very important to the UK.