Google Play Music reveals its UK ‘Ones To Watch’ for 2018

01 December 2017 - Press release

Stefflon Don leads an all-female top five on this year’s lineup. 

Google Play Music reveals its ‘Ones To Watch’ in the UK for 2018. The ten artist list features acts predicted to have a massive year in 2018 as well as those chosen by Google Play Music’s editorial team as artists worth keeping an eye on.

The top 10 are:  

1. Stefflon Don
2. Jessie Reyez
3. IAMDDB
4. ALMA
5. Tash Sultana
6. Lewis Capaldi
7. Mabel
8. Avelino
9. YONAKA
10. Rex Orange County

The list has been compiled using a range of factors which include track performance on new music playlists such as Best New Music, streaming volumes on Google Play Music, as well as picks from Google Play Music’s UK editorial team.

Birmingham born singer and rapper Stefflon Don tops a list dominated by strong female voices. Having already left her mark on 2017 -- featuring alongside Demi Lovato on Jax Jones’ summer hit ‘Instruction’, and with her own tracks ‘Hurtin’ Me’ featuring French Montana and ‘Ding-A-Ling’ featuring Skepta -- she’s already well on her way to being the breakout star of 2018. ‘Hurtin’ Me’ generated 15 times the number of streams of her previous three singles combined, signalling the start of an ascent that looks unstoppable.

Track plays by female artists have increased 36% across Google Play Music in the last three months alone, driven by pop acts Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift, P!nk and Camila Cabello. The 2018 list predicts the trend continuing with Calvin Harris collaborator Jessie Reyez, independent urban artist IAMDDB, incredible bedroom musician Tash Sultana and hard to ignore pop singers ALMA and Mabel.

Helen Marquis, Global Head of Programming at Google Play Music, said: “Stefflon Don is clearly going to be one of the most talked about artists of 2018 and it’s great to see her leading such an impressive field of distinctive and diverse female artists. It’s also great to see two independent acts in IAMDDB and Rex Orange County make it onto Ones To Watch, further proof of what an interesting and exciting year for music 2018 is shaping up to be.’

All of the top ten UK Ones To Watch, as well as the longer list of suggested artists, will feature in Google Play Music’s Ones To Watch playlist.