Tomorrow’s Hits: Elle King, Islander & Odessa
Each Friday, Billboard presents Tomorrow's Hits, a weekly look at new and noteworthy acts making their way toward Billboard chart success.
Elle King
Mix Duffy‘s vocals, the Black Keys‘ urgent rhythms and a hook and tempo that recalls P!nk‘s “So What,” and you have Elle King‘s catchy and clever RCA debut, “Ex’s & Oh’s.” Ahead of her 2015 debut LP, King, the daughter of comic actor Rob Schneider is earning support at adult alternative radio, including WFUV New York, after touring with acts including Ed Sheeran, Train and Of Monsters and Men. –Gary Trust (@gthot20)
Islander
Alt-metal group Islander bullets at No. 26 Mainstream Rock Songs with the aggressive yet melodic “Coconut Dracula.” The quirky title’s inspiration? Lead singer Mikey Carvajal misheard his grandfather, who was speaking in Spanish. Carvajal then concocted a story about Count Dracula taking a bite of a coconut, which changes his view of the world, turning him into a gentle soul who “wears Batman pajamas,” Carvajal muses. The Greenville, S.C., band released its debut Victory studio album Violence & Destruction in July and has opened for Rob Zombie. –Emily White (@emwhitenoise)
Odessa
Singer/songwriter Odessa has been all over TV recently, thanks to her ethereal “I Will Be There” (Chop Shop/Republic). Following its use in a Subaru ad, it aired in Fox’s The Red Band Society (Sept. 17) and ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy (Sept. 25), helping it earn its best sales week (5,000 downloads in the frame ending Sept. 28, according to Nielsen SoundScan). –Keith Caulfield (@keith_caulfield)
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