05 Dec 2025
Century
EsDeeKid
XV Records/Lizzy Records through ADA
WE SAY
Closing out this week’s Ones To Watch 2026 is masked alt-rap force EsDeeKid. The enigmatic Merseyside MC has turned anonymity into a catalyst for myth-making, letting his fierce Scouse delivery and heavy-hitting bars speak for themselves as speculation swirls around his identity. His breakthrough arrived with 2024’s 'Bally' featuring Rico Ace, and he has since rocketed through the scene, rapidly amassing 9.8m monthly Spotify listeners, and cultivating a loyal cult following drawn to his raw, punk-leaning energy and unmistakable vocal bite. He dropped his debut album 'Rebel' in June, which has now surpassed 350m global streams. It currently sits at no.13 on the OCC and no.67 on the Billboard 200, and ranks as the second-most-streamed rap album of the year behind Central Cee's. Lead single 'Phantom' has cleared 90m streams, peaking at no.12 on Spotify UK and the OCC, and charting globally. In October and November, he became the most-streamed artist on SoundCloud in the UK, with three tracks in the OCC Top 40. New single 'Century' has just delivered him his first Top 10 hit and continues to power the rise of 'Phantom' and '4 Raws' in the charts. With its menacing pace, sharpened lyricism, and high-voltage delivery, 'Century' showcases why EsDeeKid is one of the stars of the future. Part of a new wave with Fakemink and Jim Legxacy, he is pushing underground sounds into the mainstream. EsDeeKid’s all-black, baggy silhouette and anarchic, punk-charged presence have already made his live shows notorious. This includes two sold-out London dates on a recent 17-stop European tour. With new music on the horizon and international dates across the US, Canada, and Australia booked for early 2026, EsDeeKid’s rise from the underground looks not just unstoppable, but inevitable.
CONTACTS
Label: Sincere, Lizzy Records
Distribution: ADA
Marketing: Rianne Gordon, Lizzy Records/Daniel Mburu, ADA
Radio: Andy Park, All Ears
Streaming: Nick Sheldon, ADA
Press: Ebi Sampson, August Agency
Live & Management: Lua, Aux LDN
RECORD ARCHIVE
Continuing our Ones To Watch 2026 is Nigerian-born, UK-based rising talent Ossi Grace, who is...
Love Like This
Ossi Grace
Continuing our Ones To Watch 2026 is Nigerian-born, UK-based rising talent Ossi Grace, who is fast becoming one of Afro-Soul’s...
Today's Ones To Watch 2025 is rising R&B star kwn (pronounced kay-one). It’s been a...
do what i say
kwn
Today's Ones To Watch 2025 is rising R&B star kwn (pronounced kay-one). It’s been a phenomenal year for the east...
Next up on our Ones to Watch is fast-rising American rock duo Girl Tones. Formed...
Burnout
Girl Tones
Next up on our Ones to Watch is fast-rising American rock duo Girl Tones. Formed by classically trained sisters Kenzie...
Starting this week's Ones To Watch 2026 is rising post-punk pop group My First Time....
Sippy Cup
My First Time
Starting this week's Ones To Watch 2026 is rising post-punk pop group My First Time. Since breaking through with last...
Our final Ones To Watch artist this week is Burnley-born non-binary musician, illustrator, and tattoo...
CHRONIC
Cody Frost
Our final Ones To Watch artist this week is Burnley-born non-binary musician, illustrator, and tattoo artist Cody Frost. Since their...
Next up on our Ones To Watch 2026 is rising dance-pop force Rose Gray. Born on...
I Don’t Speak French
Rose Gray
Next up on our Ones To Watch 2026 is rising dance-pop force Rose Gray. Born on New Year’s Eve and raised...
Continuing our Ones To Watch 2026 is fast-rising pop auteur Chloe Qisha. The Malaysian-born, UK-based artist has...
So Sad So Hot
Chloe Qisha
Continuing our Ones To Watch 2026 is fast-rising pop auteur Chloe Qisha. The Malaysian-born, UK-based artist has packed an extraordinary amount into...
Today's Ones To Watch is American singer-songwriter Matt Hansen. At just 25, the LA-based artist...
Don’t Look Back
Matt Hansen
Today's Ones To Watch is American singer-songwriter Matt Hansen. At just 25, the LA-based artist has quietly become one of...
Starting this week's Ones To Watch 2026 is the burgeoning self-taught alt-pop singer, songwriter, and...
MACHINE GHOST
Erin LeCount
Starting this week's Ones To Watch 2026 is the burgeoning self-taught alt-pop singer, songwriter, and producer Erin LeCount. She first...
Next up in our Ones To Watch 2026 spotlight is emerging pop force Alessi Rose,...
Get Around
Alessi Rose
Next up in our Ones To Watch 2026 spotlight is emerging pop force Alessi Rose, who has carved out one...
Kickstarting our Ones To Watch 2026 is rising British-Ghanaian soul star Nectar Woode. The 25-year-old...
Stick Fight
Nectar Woode
Kickstarting our Ones To Watch 2026 is rising British-Ghanaian soul star Nectar Woode. The 25-year-old Milton Keynes-raised, London-based artist has...
We were seriously impressed when this gorgeous, soulful alt-R&B cut dropped into our inbox last...
This Is Not Me
Malunga
We were seriously impressed when this gorgeous, soulful alt-R&B cut dropped into our inbox last month from east London’s Malunga....
South London’s Amity pushes his remarkable rise forward with 'To Make A Man', an anthemic,...
To Make a Man
Amity
South London’s Amity pushes his remarkable rise forward with 'To Make A Man', an anthemic, piano-led salvo against toxic masculinity...
Fresh from their instantly sold-out UK dates last month, rising girlband XO return with their...
Candy
XO
Fresh from their instantly sold-out UK dates last month, rising girlband XO return with their punchy debut EP 'Fashionably Late',...
With Christmas fast approaching and the sound of Mariah Carey et al already on the...
I Won’t Be Lonely (This Christmas)
Alexis Strum
With Christmas fast approaching and the sound of Mariah Carey et al already on the air, Alexis Strum steps up...
Glasgow-based singer-songwriter Quiet Man continues his impressive trajectory with 'Treading Water', a hauntingly introspective track...
Treading Water
Quiet Man
Glasgow-based singer-songwriter Quiet Man continues his impressive trajectory with 'Treading Water', a hauntingly introspective track that drifts between melancholy and...
