Deezer has unveiled Ali Gatie and Joesef as its latest Deezer Next artists. Gatie is the global pick, while Joesef is the UK local choice.
The streaming platform’s Next programme supports emerging talent and is now in its fourth year. Yemen-born Gatie grew up in Ontario, Canada and recently released new single What If I Told You That I Love You. The company report that his daily streams increased by 7,000% in the past year.
Fans can expect live sessions and artist ‘inspirations’ playlists from Gatie and the rest of this year’s selected acts from markets around the world. Content is housed in a dedicated channel on the platform. Deezer Next offers editorial and marketing support for a 12-month period, including playlisting, fan events and social media amplification.
Ali Gatie said: “I’m so honored to be selected for Deezer Next 2020. This is a big year of firsts for me - I have my first album coming soon, I’ve been able to sell out my first world tour, connect with my fans and release more music than ever. I’m so thrilled to add this to the list!”
Glaswegian soul singer Joesef has featured in Music Week’s On The Radar column, while his co-manager Lyle Scougall was our Rising Star earlier this month.
This year, we’ve taken Deezer Next even wider
Nigel Harding, Deezer
Joesef said: "I’m buzzing to be chosen for Deezer Next, I still feel like I'm just starting out so to have a bit of a heads up from them means I must be doing something right."
Manuel Turizo and Lolo Zouaï were chosen for Deezer Next last year. Previous acts also include Lewis Capaldi, Jorja Smith and Rag‘N’Bone Man.
Nigel Harding, VP of artist marketing at Deezer said: “We’re huge fans of Ali’s music and can’t wait to give him our full support. Working closely with talented artists is really the best part of the job. This year, we’ve taken Deezer Next even wider. We’re proud to feature artists from eight countries and plan on announcing more in the coming months.”
Also this week, Spotify launched its Radar programme to support new talent around the world.
The other regional 2020 Deezer Next acts include:
Germany: Wilhelmine
France: Yseult, Lous and the Yakuza, Pomme and Captaine Roshi
Brazil: Tiee and Luan Estilizado
Latin America / US: Rod Wave
South Africa: Langa Mavuso
Netherlands: Áslaug