McLean

McLean, whose father is the lovers rock icon John and whose cousin is the '90s reggae performer Bitty, earned the label of a contemporary Marvin Gaye from producer Fraser T. Smith. Anthony McLean, who entered the world in Dagenham, London in 1980, started his vocal journey within church settings and, drawing motivation from the U.K. garage movement, established himself as a frequent presence on pirate radio broadcasts. To fund his pursuit of music, he held positions such as night watchman and worker in an alarm factory until his breakthrough arrived in 2007, when his independently written song "Broken" amassed over 20 million views across social networking platforms. That online attention secured an agreement with Asylum, an Atlantic Records imprint, along with partnerships involving MJ Cole and Chase & Status under the alias Digga. The year 2010 brought his first major-label release, "My Name," which climbed to number ten and was included on the Young Soul Rebels charity single "I Got Soul." His debut album, set for 2011 and also containing the track "Finally in Love," was shaped by producers including Nate "Danja" Hills, Grammy-winner Phil Tan, and Naughty Boy.