Reactions shared to BBC Sound of 2025 list: “Every name is good” but “a kick in the teeth to any genuinely new act”

nme.com:

The 11 artists in the running for the title were shared earlier this morning (November 21), and chosen by a panel of industry experts and artists that included Elton John, Dua Lipa, Jorja Smith, The Blessed Madonna and Sam Smith.The Sound Of list comes yearly, and sees the BBC rundown the rising artists they believe have “the best chance of mainstream success” in the year ahead.Among the artists named for next year are pop pioneer Chappell Roan, who has been enjoying huge global success following the release of her 2023 debut ‘The Rise And Fall of a Midwest Princess‘ – an album that hit Number One back in August and has seen her attract millions of streams and rise to the rank of festival headliner.The inclusion of Chappell Roan on the list comes as new rules have been implemented for 2025.

Previously, an artist would not be eligible if they had been the lead on a UK Number One or Number Two album by the cut-off point.

However, this year that rule has changed so that an artist “cannot have had more than two Top 10 albums in the UK Official Albums Chart” by 30 September 2024.Other rules include that an artist cannot have had two Top 10 singles in the UK Official Singles Chart by September 30, 2024, and that “they also must not already be widely known by the UK general public or have appeared on the Sound Of list before.”Asked about the change to the rules, a BBC Radio 1 spokesperson told NME: “The Sound Of list has a strong track record of predicting future superstars and we periodically review the criteria to better reflect how audiences consume music.”Elsewhere in the list are Mercury Prize winners English Teacher and Ezra Collective (who recently headlined Wembley Arena), as well as Irish-language rap trio Kneecap.