SOUNDEXCHANGE CREATOR-FOCUSED INITIATIVE SPOTLIGHTS BREAKTHROUGH ARTISTS

Breakthrough Beats Volume III champions and amplifies the work of rising creators through artist-driven events and digital content

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SoundExchange, the premier music tech organization powering the future of music, is expanding its support for creators with the latest volume of Breakthrough Beats. An ongoing initiative promoting up-and-coming creators across various musical genres, Breakthrough Beats amplifies the work of talented artists as they gain popularity through events and digital content, including promotion across SoundExchange channels.

"While making music has never been as accessible as it is today, breaking through the noise poses a real challenge for some of today's most talented creators," said Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange. "We are proud of the work already underway to make a difference in the lives of these hard-working creators and are excited to spotlight a new generation of artists with our Breakthrough Beats program."

Breakthrough Beats Volume III launches today (February 1, 2023) with Philadelphia-based rapper Armani White. His 2022 single "Billie Eilish" peaked at No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100, and he recently released a video for his single "GOAT," which features a cameo by boxer Floyd Mayweather, who coached White for the clip's boxing training scenes.

"I'm from Philly. I make what I like to call 'happy hood music.' But being featured as a SoundExchange Breakthrough Beats creator exposes me to a whole different audience of other artists, producers, and labels. I want people to be able to look back and say, 'Damn, I remember when he was featured as a Breakthrough Beats artist and now he's got the No. 1 song in the world.'"

Along with Armani White, Volume III will also include

• Imen Siar – U.K. -based creator with Moroccan roots and Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist. Siar's 2022 debut single "Lonely People" was released in Arabic, Italian, and English versions and followed up with "Glitter and Gold" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop My Heart."
• Rosa Linn – Armenian singer-songwriter who represented her country in the Eurovsion Song Contest in 2022 with her single "Snap," which qualified for the finals in the annual event. Linn will be on the road supporting Ed Sheeran's summer 2023 North American Tour.
• Calacote – North Carolina-born Latin artist based in the Dominican Republic who leans on his roots to write and perform in English, Spanish, and French. Calacote attracted attention in 2022 with his singles "Intercambio," "La estaca," and "Chapiar."
• Additional artists will be added in the near future.

The initial slate of Breakthrough Beats rolled out in the summer of 2022, led by Spencer Crandall, mehro, Moliy, Stellar, Em Beihold, and Neal Francis. Volume II followed in September, with Youre, Los Gemelos de Sinaloa, Blessing Offor, Lexi Jayde, Youre, Sadie Jean, Restless Road, and Avery Anna.

"It's an honor to be included in SoundExchange's Breakthrough Beats," says Nicky Youre. "Being a part of SoundExchange has given myself and my team peace of mind knowing that all of my digital performance royalties are always being collected and accounted for throughout the U.S. and internationally. It makes a really complicated process feel easy and simple."

In today's saturated music industry, creators face fierce competition when it comes to breaking through. Breakthrough Beats is the latest in a series of initiatives by SoundExchange to highlight and amplify the work of creators, including SoundAdvice and the Creator Spotlight series. For the latest installments of these creator-focused initiatives, visit: SoundExchange.com/creator-hub.

Breakthrough Beats Alumni Highlights

• Vol. I creators Spencer Crandall, mehro, and Moliy headlined a summer SoundExchange showcase at New York's Rockwood Music Hall for a music industry audience. The next day, Moliy was featured on a Spotify billboard in New York's Time Square and later in a spotlight interview on the SoundExchange website.
• Prior to the showcase, SoundExchange captured a live performance of mehro's "pirate song" later released as a music video that has garnered more than 16,000 views on his YouTube channel.
• Independent artist Spencer Crandall released his fourth studio album, Western, in October, made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry, and continues to tour the U.S.
• Massachusetts' Stellar has racked up more than 150 million Spotify streams, more than 88 million in 2022 alone. He recently announced via his Instagram that he plans to release a song each month in 2023.
• After catching attention on TikTok, Em Beihold scored a breakout radio hit in 2022 with "Numb Little Bug." She'll be hitting the road in April, touring U.S. and Canadian theaters.
• In November, Chicago-based Neal Francis released his Sentimental Garbage EP, the follow-up to his 2021 album In Plain Sight for ATO Records. He performed at the Americana Music Association Honors & Awards, where he was nominated for Emerging Act of the Year, and is currently touring the U.S.
• California native Nicky Youre has 2023 tour plans that include a performance at BottleRock Napa Valley festival featuring headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone, Lizzo, Duran Duran, Lil Nas X, and Smashing Pumpkins.
• Twin brothers Juan Moises and Roberto Cardenas, who form California's Los Gemelos de Sinaloa, were nominated for New Artist of the Year at the Billboard Latin Music Awards and are among the ten creators on Pandora's Latin Artists to Watch for 2023 list.
• Singer-songwriter Blessing Offor earned a GMA Dove Awards new artist of the year nomination and scored Billboard Christian Airplay chart hits with his TobyMac collaboration "The Goodness" and "Brighter Days," the title track from his February 2022 EP. My Tribe, the Nigerian-born, Connecticut-raised creator's new album, was released earlier this month via Bowyer & Bow/Capitol CMG.
• Southern California native Lexi Jayde was showered in roses nightly on tour last year. "It was so magical," she writes on her Instagram about the fan appreciation. Next month, Jayde will visit Australia for two headlining shows in addition to a pair of dates supporting Finneas, who produced her 2022 sophomore EP Closer To Closure.
• The bi-coastal creator Sadie Jean followed up her viral TikTok single "WYD Now?" with "Locksmith," co-written with Griff Clawson.
• Restless Road kicked off 2023 with a spot on the Spotify Country Artists to Watch list. Well known for their Kane Brown collaboration "Take Me Home," the group recently teased a new ballad, "On My Way," via their social media. Restless Road is supporting Brown's January European tour and will play Stagecoach and several other festivals before reuniting with Kane for his summer U.S. tour.
• Avery Anna is the focus of an episode of CMT's acclaimed short-form digital series Viral to Verified premiering January 26, and appears on the 2023 Spotify Country Artists to Watch list. The Flagstaff, Arizona, creator is on a U.S. tour in support of her debut EP, Mood Swings, released in October.

About SoundExchange

SoundExchange is the premier music tech organization on a mission to power the future of music. It was independently formed in 2003 to build a fairer, simpler, and more efficient music industry through technology, data, and advocacy. The only organization designated by the U.S. government to administer the Section 114 sound recording license, SoundExchange collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of 600,000 music creators and growing. Through proprietary music tech solutions that turn data into accurate revenue, SoundExchange has paid more than $9 billion in distributions to date. For more information, visit soundexchange.com.

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