A new year and a whole host of new music. In this week long series, a selection of PressPlay writers give you a run down of their recommendation for 2014. The second recommendation for PressPlay’s Sound of 2014 is MNEK.
When selecting an artist to represent an entire year of musical dominance, one needs to take into account many aspects of the music scene and the music industry. Appreciating the ebb and flow of genres, production styles, and the underwhelming attention span of the general public, an artist needs to possess both natural talent as well as a healthy support system. Whether he/she taps into a devoted fan base, encouragement from elsewhere within the industry, or some combination therein grants him/her their ultimate “value” within the grand scheme of music. Also, it helps cement their continued support and appreciation for years to come. The viral power of social media, the coming-of-age of a generation, and the precedents set in 2013 align to introduce MNEK as the potential face of 2014.
Having already garnered the support of an overwhelming list of other up and coming artists (BASTILLE, Sam Smith, Duke Dumont, Gorgon City, etc.), MNEK comes into 2014 with an impressive list of accolades already under his belt – Duke Dumont “Need U [100%],’s” Grammy nomination for “Best Dance Recording” – as well as his upcoming album featuring many of the great names (mentioned above) and more. At the young age of nineteen, MNEK makes BBC’s long-list for sound of 2014, but ST.ART’s short list. Keep an eye out; this kid will go on to do big things!
Words: Austin Bell
Saint Audio 