ASCAP's Annual Rhythm & Soul "On the Come Up" Showcase Series Goes Virtual Starting Tuesday, September 29
NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announces that their annual Rhythm & Soul showcase series "On the Come Up" returns to music fans this year, transformed from an in-person concert event to an exclusive video playlist premiere, launching today at www.ascap.com/otcu2020. Beginning on Sept. 29, ASCAP will present never-before-seen video performances from a lineup of up-and-coming artists who are primed for success with strong organic followings on social media. As part of the event, ASCAP will highlight a different pair of OTCU artists on its social media handles @ASCAP and @ASCAPUrban each day on September 29, 30 and October 2.
"On the Come Up" chronicles the careers of ASCAP's rising urban songwriters, producers and artists. The showcase series began as a newsletter that has helped introduce the music industry to chart-topping artists including Miguel, DeJ Loaf, Jessie Reyez, Fetty Wap, Tasha Cobbs, Mike Will, Tierra Whack, Eric Bellinger and Jonathan McReynolds.
The complete lineup for ASCAP On the Come Up 2020 is as follows:
Liza, @lizayohannes (Twitter/Instgram)
Liza (pronounced Lee-za) is an Ethiopian-Canadian R&B singer/songwriter with undeniable presence. Her music draws influence from R&B, neo-soul and the traditional Ethiopian sounds she grew up listening to. Following the 2017 release of her acclaimed debut EP, Liza released follow-up singles including "Here to Stay," "Passes Me," "Morning Glory" and most recently, a mini-EP entitled ID. She has taken the stage at venues in her hometown and abroad, such as NXNE where she opened up for Tinashe; Canadian Music Week; SXSW and a headlining show at Manifesto Festival. She also opened for the legendary Lauryn Hill in Toronto for the 20th Anniversary Miseducation Tour alongside Santigold, Busta Rhymes & Tierra Whack, and for Kyle Dion and Raveena during their respective tours. Most recently, Liza co-wrote and was featured on Daniel Caesar's latest project, CASE STUDY 01, and appeared on Michelle Obama's official Spotify Playlist, "Higher Ground."
Savannah Cristina, @savannah.cristina (Instagram)
R&B singer and songwriter Savannah Cristina practices "Soul Therapy." The vocalist's show-stopping voice, poetic confessions and warm spirit flip feelings of pain into prowess, sadness into joy, and loss into love. At the end of 2019, Savannah's single and video "Self Care" caught fire. Directed and shot by Savannah in front of the ocean, the accompanying visual went viral to the tune of 3.4 million views in a few months. In January 2020, Grammy Award-winning icon Alicia Keys touted it in a Genius "Cosign" clip. Now with more music and performances on the horizon, Savannah's "Soul Therapy" will make an impact for a long time to come. Amassing approximately 8 million views, generating 2 million streams, and attracting the endorsements of everyone from Alicia Keys to The FADER thus far, the Florida-born artist both captivates and heals on her 2020 debut for Warner Records.
Langston Bleu, @Langstonbleu (Twitter/Instagram)
Raised in DC, Langston moved to Atlanta to hone his craft. Inspired by songwriters and performers like The-Dream, Rihanna & Usher, Langston twists R&B/pop to create a landscape of his own. An ASCAP Quincy Jones Award recipient and part of SoundCloud's "Artists to Watch" this summer, Langston will release his debut EP in January 2021.
Mylah, @mylahmusic (Instagram)
In an industry that often boxes artists into rigid categories, Mylah has always tested boundaries. Her music is not just R&B or soul; not exclusively sexy, trendy or classic -- the different genres and aesthetics are meshed together effortlessly by this seasoned performer. Mylah's music reflects her overall personality: cool exterior and deeply passionate underneath. No rookie to the game, this Indiana native has been performing and writing since the age of 17. She's worked with such notables as Sean "Diddy" Combs, Brandon "BAM" Hodge and Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox. She has performed at legendary venues, toured the states with soul artist Anthony David, and supplied background vocals for Lauryn Hill and Kandi Burruss, to name a few. In 2019, Mylah headlined her very own tour in Eastern Europe and has also performed in the Middle East and Africa. She is currently working on a new project for 2021 release.
Jordan Hawkins, @imjordanhawkins (Twitter/Instgram)
Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jordan Hawkins builds a hypnotic atmosphere with his music, inviting the listener into an alternate reality that moves at its own unhurried pace. With his impossibly smooth vocals and powerful range, the 23-year-old North Carolina native delivers a minimalist yet potent breed of R&B, infusing each track with his one-of-a-kind guitar work: shapeshifting, meditative, endlessly expressive of the unrestrained emotion at the heart of every lyric. Currently working on his debut EP, Jordan is on his way to becoming one of music's most exciting newcomers.
Blxst, @Blxst (Twitter/Instagram)
Blxst began his solo music career in Los Angeles in 2015 after writing, producing and honing his sound. He's been unstoppable ever since, releasing his first single "Who Would've Thought" in 2016 and his breakout hit "Hurt" in 2019, which surpassed 2,000,000 streams as an independent release. This year he teamed up with Red Bull Records to give us his debut EP No Love Lost, followed by a four-part series of visuals for tracks from the project. Respect for Blxst's musical ability as an artist and producer continues to grow. From self-editing artwork to mixing and mastering his own sound, these skills have put Blxst in a position to work side-by-side with countless west coast figures, including DJ Mustard, YG, Kendrick Lamar and many more.
The 2020 ASCAP "On The Come Up" Showcase can be viewed on @ASCAP and @ASCAPUrban Instagram, YouTube channel and the ASCAP website.
About ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers, and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP's mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works, and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world's best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business - from bars, restaurants, and retail, to radio, TV, and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With more than 775,000 members representing more than 11.5 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com.
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