Emerging Artists Spotlight: Mabel
This week's Emerging Artists Spotlight pick is singer-songwriter Mabel.
Welcome to Emerging Artists Spotlight, a new Billboard series where we highlight a musician who has recently made his or her debut on the Emerging Artists chart. Whether they are new to the industry, or have been around for a while but are just starting to have a chart impact, the intention is to showcase where they are here and now. This week’s pick is singer-songwriter Mabel, who debuted at No. 49 on the chart dated March 16.
Billboard named Mabel‘s breakthrough single “Don’t Call Me Up” as an early contender for the 2019 Song of the Summer, and as the bop debuts on the Pop Songs airplay chart at No. 37, the British singer is likewise propelled onto the Emerging Artists chart. The song — which Mabel co-wrote with Camille Purcell and Steve Mac — calls on an infectious “Shape of You”-esque beat, and features empowering lyrics in the vein of “New Rules.”
The daughter of Swedish singer-songwriter? Neneh Cherry and producer Cameron McVey, Mabel reveals her musical roots led her to start writing when she was five years old. “Music has always been my way of processing and expressing things,” Mabel tells Billboard, adding that she’s always been influenced by ‘90s R&B.
Today, Mabel describes her sound as a blend of R&B and pop. “I’d say that my music now is a blend of different genres and my multicultural background,” says the singer, who was born in Málaga, Spain, and raised in London.
For the chartwatchers playing along at home, Mabel’s actually not a stranger to the Billboard charts; Jax Jones’ “Ring Ring” featuring Mabel and Rich the Kid climbed the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart in August 2018. Since then, Mabel was nominated for British breakthrough act at the 2019 Brit Awards (though Tom Walker won).
Catch her on a few U.K. tour dates this summer, and learn more about Mabel below.
Age: 23
Hometown: London, England
Recommended song: “Don’t Call Me Up”
Passion outside of work: “Boxing. I love that it’s both a physical and mental challenge!”
What’s next: “I’m releasing my debut album this year. I’m so excited for people to hear it.”
Past Emerging Artists Spotlights: J.S. Ondara | Delain
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