December 3, 2021

Which new artists from 2021 have the best prospects for long-term success, and what special qualities do they possess?

Beata Murphy, KIIS: Olivia Rodrigo – Any doubt this girl is a superstar? Giveon – What a voice and his story telling in his writing is amazing. Tate McCrae – An all-around star.

Jana Sutter, WXXL: Lil Nas X has an amazing way of pushing the boundaries while still connecting to the base audience by writing really great, catchy songs. Olivia Rodrigo has good songwriting chops. It will be interesting to see how she handles being a triple-threat: acting/singing/songwriting.

Java Joel, WHBC: Olivia Rodrigo. Solid songwriting.

Adam Rivers, WKCI: Olivia Rodrigo is a generational superstar.

Mikey V, WXKS: Olivia Rodrigo and Kid Laroi.

Rich Davis, KDWB: Olivia Rodrigo instantly comes to mind. Not only did she have a bunch of hits off her debut album, she’s also a great songwriter. When you think of what Taylor Swift has achieved over a career, she’s a great singer but she also can put pen-to-paper and put her feelings out there. If Olivia keeps it up, given her talent level and youth, she’s a keeper. I also have to give props to Lil Nas X. From an artist that could’ve easily been discounted by many of us as a one-hit wonder, he followed it up with several more big hits from Montero.

Jon Zellner, iHeartMedia: Olivia Rodrigo, Glass Animals, The Kid Laroi.

Josh Wolff, WAEB: Olivia Rodrigo’s songs really connect with the audience and she’s very adept at social media.

 Rick Vaughn, KENZ: Olivia Rodrigo based on her singing talent and unique songwriting ability.

Erik Bradley, WBBM: Giveon, The Kid Laroi, Doja Cat and Olivia Rodrigo.  The biggest benefit all have is anything they do in the future will have a strong base underneath as all have had big breakthroughs this year to build upon!

Buster Satterfield, WIOQ: Giveon. He possesses all the artist qualities that lead to longevity.

Jonathan Shuford, WRVW: Olivia Rodrigo has everything going for her and will be a core artist for the format. Kid Laroi had one of the biggest hits of the year, and he has the talent and people around him to be successful for a long time. Also keep an eye on Conan Gray and Benson Boone. Conan is already a star. He has all the pieces put together except the right radio hit. He’s a song away from being Shawn Mendes. Benson has a Lewis Capaldi-esque voice with Justin Bieber’s looks.

Drew Heyman, WHYI: Gotta be Olivia Rodrigo. She’s the one!

Mike O’Donnell, WKRZ: Olivia Rodrigo has a great image and great sound for the younger-end.  She fits the demo really well, her music’s relatable, and her songwriting is top shelf. Honorable mentions go to Lil Nas Xand The Kid Laroi.

Matt “MJ” Johnson, WPLW: I’m sure Olivia Rodrigo will be the popular response, and from my view, you have your whole life to write your debut album, but I think the true measure is the second album. Lil Nas X has broken through and has produced music people want to consume. Doja Kat counts.

Valentine, WBHT: The Kid Laroi, Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X had amazing years and something tells me we will be dealing with “artist separation scheduling conflicts“ from these stars for years to come.

Jeff Hurley, iHeartMedia: Olivia Rodrigo has an incredible fanbase and the talent to keep churning out hits for years.  Kid LAROI has that ‘it’ factor.  Such a cool, unique vibe.  Giveon could be a force for years.  The fans already know EVERYTHING he sings.  Just a matter of time until he breaks through into the stratosphere.

Bob Patrick, WXLK: Olivia Rodrigo. She is good at putting out HITS! And the Kid Laroi.

Heather Deluca, WSJO: I’m putting my money on Olivia Rodrigo. I think the slew of Grammy nods, including Best New Artist, are a big endorsement. She’s got a ‘voice’…and I don’t mean she can sing. Her lyrics are like poetry and are very personal. She’s shown she’s great at bringing to life what’s going on in her head and her heart, and that makes her a great songwriter. I think we’d just scratched the surface of her potential.

 

Next Week’s Question Of The Week:
What was your most memorable moment of 2021?
e-Mail your responses to: jodorisio@deanemediasolutions.com or bburke@deanemediasolutions.com