There’s no one quite like Beabadoobee, according to Dirty Hit boss Jamie Oborne.
Music Week caught up with Oborne in the wake of the big reveal of the BRITs Rising Star shortlist for 2020, the first year of the Awards’ big revamp.
Beabadoobee (real name Bea Kristi) is on the shortlist alongside Celeste and Joy Crookes. Kristi released the Space Cadet EP last month and has 1,688,354 monthly listeners on Spotify, where her most played track is Coffee (12,348,724).
Music Week profiled the London-based artist, talking her love of the ’90s, grunge and Tom Hanks, in our On The Radar column earlier this year. Now, we hear from Dirty Hit founder Oborne (who also manages Beabadoobee through All On Red) to get his take on the big news…
Why do you think Beabadoobee has been nominated? What makes her an exciting new artist?
“Bea is such a special artist. Her influences are really wide-ranging and her sound is so unique and real in the current musical climate, there really is no-one else like her at the moment. Her songs are personal and incredibly relatable to her fanbase, which makes it easy for people to connect to the music, and her as an artist. Bea is the realest, I think kids want that right now. It’s unfiltered.”
Is it a victory moment for alternative music?
“It would be a victory if we won for sure. It is a great endorsement for artists to follow their own path, and release music they love and are passionate about.”
Her songs are personal and incredibly relatable to her fanbase
Jamie Oborne, Dirty Hit
What does the shortlist mean to the label?
"We are just really excited to watch her develop as an artist. This year has already been one of huge growth for her and a BRITs nomination will only amplify that. With Bea, as with all of our artists, everything comes from her, so our role is to support, encourage and empower her. I am very proud of her and the team.”
What does the future hold for her?
“Bea will keep developing as she grows in confidence as a songwriter and performer. She already has a really clear vision, so it is important that we make sure she follows it and is artistically brave in everything she does. It is incredibly important to us that we protect this and encourage her development and growth as a songwriter, without hampering her vision.”
Beabadoobee is currently on the Dirty Hit tour 2019 alongside No Rome and Oscar Lang. It wraps at The Dome in London on December 20.
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