
Ready To Pop: 5 Acts Headed Straight To The Mainstream

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1. Banks
Sounds Like: A darker female version of The Weeknd
Age: 26
Why she's poppin': Banks is already on every music lover’s lips when someone mentions up and coming. The singer/songwriter is a huge success on Soundcloud, which we think will propel her career into bigger and brighter things. Her latest single, “Beggin’ For Thread,” shows how versatile a female artist can really be, combining pop, R&B and maybe even traces of hip-hop. No wonder the song landed in the iTunes Top 10 on the day it came out.
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2. Sheppard
Sounds Like: The lovechild of OneRepublic and Grouplove
Why they're poppin': From a young age, the Brisbane-based band has been hustling the music game. Sheppard was originally formed with siblings Amy, Emma and George Sheppard but they eventually added three more members, completing the sugary-sweet sound they have perfected today. Their debut single, “Geronimo,” knocked Pharrell’s “Happy” off the #1 spot in Australia and eventually went three times platinum in their home country. We also are sort of in love with Amy Sheppard’s turquoise hair.
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3. Ella Henderson
Sounds Like: A lighter, happier Adele
Age: 18
Why she's poppin': Landing in sixth place on The X Factor UK in 2012, the songstress won over the British public two years later with her smash hit, “Ghost,” which was co-written by OneRepublic’s frontman Ryan Tedder. Not only did she gain a #1 debut single in her home country, but it also came in at #1 in all of Europe.
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4. George Ezra
Sounds Like: A grittier Ed Sheeran
Age: 21
Why he's poppin': Is Ed Sheeran a little too quiet for you? Look to George Ezra for a grungier, rustic sound paired with still-ethereal vocals. Placing fifth in BBC’s Sound of 2014 competition, Ezra’s song, “Budapest,” charted at #3 in the UK and could be Lorde’s sonic sister meets Bob Dylan’s son
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5. Fifth Harmony
Sounds Like: Destiny’s Child working with an electronic producer
Ages: 17-21
Why they're poppin': After being formed on music mastermind Simon Cowell’s US version of The X Factor, these girls have made their way into the hearts of thousands with their new song, “BO$$.” Their image is getting more urban and we’re all over that. Further more, let’s face it, we need a new girl band in our lives.
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