WOMEN RULE BRITS RISING STAR NOMINATIONS

The 2023 BRITs Rising Star nominees have been revealed: RCA’s Cat Burns and Island acts FLO and Nia Archives.

The winner will be announced on 12/8. Here’s the lowdown:

Burns (pictured upper left), whose “Go” is the fourth-biggest-selling single in the U.K. YTD, is signed to Since 93/RCA. Hailing from South London, she’s a former BRIT School student, following in the footsteps of Adele, Amy Winehouse and FKA Twigs. In 2016 she released her debut EP, Adolescent, which preceded her debut single, “Sober,” from 2018. “Go” went viral on TikTok toward the end of 2021, peaked at #2 on the Official Singles Chart this year and became Burns' first platinum hit. Her six-track EP, emotionally unavailable, arrived in May, and she supported Ed Sheeran on the European leg of his Mathematics Tour this summer. Next spring Burns will head out with Sam Smith for a tour of the U.K. and Ireland.

FLO—a British R&B act consisting of 20-year-olds Renée, Jorja and Stella—released its debut single, “Cardboard Box,” earlier this year. The trio has since performed on Jimmy Kimmel and Later… With Jools Holland and was nominated for Best Newcomer at the MOBOs. The recent Happi remix of “Cardboard Box” took over TikTok after a Polynesian creator’s dance routine went viral on the platform, leading to more than 400k creations a day at its peak. FLO released its debut EP, The Lead, this summer. It's now amassed over 70m global streams. The group has gained fans in the likes of Brandy, JoJo, SZA, Victoria Monét, Missy Elliott, Kelly Rowland and Sugababes and has been tipped by The Guardian, i-D, Dazed, NME, Complex and Pitchfork.

Archives is described as making “soft-hearted lo-fi jungle for introverted extroverts.” She takes inspiration from her Jamaican heritage and the gospel music she was exposed to as a child. After working with other producers in her teens, Archives taught herself production. Her music channels such influences as Roots Manuva, Burial, Winehouse, Radiohead, Erykah Badu, Kelis, Lemon D, Jennifer Lara and Archives' jungle hero, Roni Size. Her first EP, Headz Gone West, was made in August, mainly in the early hours of the morning, in her cramped bedroom studio. After moving to London from Manchester, Archives expanded her base of collaborators, working with IZCO, Jakwob, Wu-Lu, V Recordings and others.