A fine tunesmith indeed…

Sam Smith is perhaps currently best known for providing his distinctive vocals to Disclosure’s chart-topper ‘Latch’, as well as Naughty Boy’s UK number one single, ‘La La La’. Even though the latter may be the musical equivalent of Marmite, it’s proven its salt as a commercially popular song.

But Smith was beginning to build the foundations of his own solo career before these collaborations; his debut single ‘Lay Me Down’ was released just a few months prior to ‘La La La’, after which his first EP – Nirvana – shortly followed. Which leads us to the BBC’s Sound of 2014 poll. To get you up to speed, the process involves 170 influential people in the music biz choosing three new acts that they believe to be most exciting. Last year’s winners were kick-ass LA girl-group Haim, who have since embarked on a worldwide tour and released their debut album, which shot straight to number one in the UK. Not bad.

What I love about the BBC Sound of… poll is that it gives relatively undiscovered acts the chance to be recognised on a national scale.

And okay, perhaps you’re thinking, “well, Sam Smith has no chance of achieving the success of Haim!” And maybe he won’t, maybe he will. But that’s irrelevant. What I love about the BBC Sound of… poll is that it gives relatively undiscovered acts the chance to be recognised on a national scale, which will inevitably offer them new platforms to showcase their talents.

Plus, I think Smith has something good going on. He has an incredible vocal range, with the capability to ascend to an unbelievable falsetto, which he claims was perfected by singing along to Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston in the car on the way to school. The passion with which he invests every song – affected or not – is tangible. The title track from his Nirvana EP is one such example; if you must discover one new song this week, make sure it’s this one.

Lauren Rosewarne

On Friday 10th January, Nick Grimshaw announced Sam Smith as the winner of BBC’s Sound of 2014. Fair enough, really: his collaborations with Naughty Boy and Disclosure were fantastic.

When Haim were crowned for the BBC’s Sound of 2013, I was also far from surprised. Their single releases in 2012 had all been met with great praise and even without before the BBC declared approval, I’d heard much anticipation for the sisters’ debut album, which hadn’t even been announced at the time.

It’s all a bit arbitrary, however, and I think the BBC is prone to seeing its own prophecies fulfilled. Essentially, if Radio 1 declares that a song is good, popular opinion is that the emperor is wearing the finest silks, notwithstanding his apparent stark nudity. Sam Smith now joins the long line of musicians to be named the winner of BBC’s Sound of [Year]; a roster which includes Jessie J, Ellie Goulding, Adele, Mika and Michael Kiwanuka. However, the latter name currently means nothing to me (despite his being nominated for the 2012 Mercury Prize), which suggests that the BBC list isn’t infallible.

The BBC’s Sound of… poll seems a little arbitrary, and the institution is prone to seeing its own prophecies fulfilled.

In the case of Jessie J, her popularity is undeniable, but I found it quite odd that throughout 2011, Radio 2 DJs would introduce her with a stream of complimentary phrases, despite her target market being either Radio 1 listeners or CBeebies viewers – I was never actually sure which. Ellie Goulding is another previous winner who perplexes me somewhat. I remember so much hype surrounding her cover of ‘Your Song’ (a habitually finger-on-the-pulse friend of mine – who didn’t know it was originally an Elton John number – cited it as his favourite song of that year) and I can’t deny her voice has a pleasant quality. I suppose only in hindsight does the pony that is her repertoire seem so gratingly one-trick.

That said, I really do look forward to hearing Sam Smith’s debut album. I’m also certain we’ll hear a lot this year from the other four artists – Ella Eyre, Banks, Sampha and George Ezra – who placed in the competition. Given that the corporation with the majority of all radio listenership in the UK will be plugging them silly, they can hardly fail to score a lot of airtime now.

Robin James Kerrison