Kwabs

London-based neo-soul vocalist Kwabs advanced from uploading covers to YouTube to signing with Atlantic within three years, aided by press endorsements and several sought-after producers who recognized his ability. Born Kwabena Sarkodee Adjepong in London in 1990, he spent his early years in Bermondsey in central London and a portion of his childhood inside the foster-care system. Immersed in a blend of soul, electronica, rock, classical and jazz, he first drew attention from a school music instructor who placed him in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, where he served as lead singer for three years. Upon leaving school he enrolled in jazz studies at the Royal Academy of Music, then joined the 2011 reality series Goldie’s Band, assembled by the ’90s drum’n’bass figure Goldie from young people with unsettled backgrounds for a ceremonial concert at Buckingham Palace.

Even so, Kwabs harbored no serious ambitions for a music career until an unembellished YouTube rendition of Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Like a Star” accumulated 100,000 views and turned into a widespread viral success. A management offer followed, prompting him to commit further to music. He posted several original tracks online, which earned early praise from MTV and BBC radio and led to the Atlantic contract. His 2014 debut EP, Wrong or Right, paired him with London-born, Vienna-based producer Sohn. Its introspective tracks placed his smooth, commanding baritone against sparse electronic textures that echoed the Human League, a sound labeled “Synth&B” and likened to the earlier pairing of Seal and Adamski. A follow-up EP, Pray for Love, arrived alongside the livelier single “Walk.” Kwabs additionally teamed with Dave Okumu for his first full-length album, slated for release in 2015.