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Woo hoo! It�s that time of the year when we put a flag in the ground and announce our �2014 Artists To Watch�, as well as reflect on the big successes in the Shazam Charts this year.
2014 Artists To Watch:
Our Music Team selected the following artists by taking a look at what the critics say, and then cross-checking that against what you � our fans � are Shazaming. Which basically means it�s a) alot more scientific than just �personal opinion and b) it�s democratic � with input from our millions of users rather than a handful of selected critics. So�without further ado here�s the performers we expect to make headlines in 2014:
- Action Bronson�� Queens native Bronson lists early influences as Wu-Tang Clan.� He launched his first album 2011 but gained huge Shazam tags in 2013 after releasing several hotly tipped mix tapes.
- August Alsina�� August�s single �I Luv This Shit� has been one of the most Shazamed rap tracks of 2013 and his mix tape tracks are also gaining traction with hip hop heads
- Banks�� Born Jillian Banks, she started writing music as a teenager in suburban LA and released an acclaimed EP in 2013.
- Jhen� Aiko�� Collaborations with Drake and Big Sean thrust her into the public eye in 2013.� Now, after releasing a mix tape, �Sail Out�, Aiko looks set for big things.
- Kid Ink�� XXL Magazine listed Kid Ink among artists like Danny Brown and Macklemore in its 2012 Freshman Class feature.� Signed with RCA/Epic, Kid Ink is set to release his first album under a major label this year.
- Lucy Hale�� Best known for her role as Aria Montgomery on the ABC Family series, Pretty Little Liars, Hale is set to be the next country star.
- Martin Garrix�� Dutch DJ best known for his track, �Animals,� Garrix is the youngest person ever to top the Beatport charts.
- Rich Homie Quan�� Georgia native and artist for the Island Jam label, Quan has been named by the New York Times as one of �Atlanta�s rising generation of rappers � who deliver lines with melody and heart, like singers on the verge of a breakdown.�
- Sam Smith�� London-born Smith contributed the soaring vocals on Disclosure�s 2013 hit, �Latch� and Naughty Boy�s �La La La.� He prefers the raw soul style in the vein of his favorite artists, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Aretha Franklin.
- Vance Joy�� Originally from Melbourne, Vance Joy has already achieved success in his native Australia with his single, �Riptide,� and is set to break globally this year.
To purchase the tracks for the Artists to Watch, visit�Amazon�or�iTunes.
Predictions from previous years include Haim and French Montana (2013 predictions), A$AP Rocky and Lana Del Rey (2012 predictions).
2013 Top Shazamed Songs Worldwide:
2013 will be best known as the year Robin Thicke�s dance track �Blurred Lines� became the soundtrack of the summer and newcomer, Lorde, stormed the charts worldwide with her debut track, �Royals.�� �But they can�t touch Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who owned 2013 with three successive hits �Thrift Shop�, �Can�t Hold Us� and �Same Love.�
