Tomorrow’s Hits: Secret Weapons, Dawin & Ben Haenow
Each Friday, Billboard presents Tomorrow's Hits, a weekly look at new and noteworthy acts making their way toward Billboard chart success.
Each Friday, Billboard presents Tomorrow’s Hits, a weekly look at new and noteworthy acts making their way toward Billboard chart success.
Secret Weapons
After building buzz with their engaging live shows and infectious pop hooks, Brooklyn’s Secret Weapons have signed with Epic Records. The duo comprises Gerry Lange and Danny Rocco, the latter of whom previously worked as a lawyer in Epic’s legal department, while pursuing his musical passions at night. In fact, the day that Secret Weapons signed, Rocco had to hand in his resignation from his prior position, surprising his co-workers that he also had been making music when he was not in the office. “I knew how Epic worked and had strong relationships with the people who worked there,” he says. “I also learned a lot about [chairman and CEO] L.A. [Reid], and couldn’t have possibly imagined a better person in the entire industry to be on our side.”
Secret Weapons’ debut single “Something New” has already been featured in a Spotify New Music Friday playlist (Oct. 2). –Alex Vitoulis (@jawsfin)
Dawin
After two weeks atop the Billboard + Twitter Emerging Artists chart, Brooklyn-born Dawin lands his first airplay chart showing, debuting at No. 37 on Rhythmic Songs with “Dessert” (featuring Silento) (Republic). Bolstered by a synch on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, the track has inspired videos by dancers and choreographers on YouTube. Its official clip, with Silento, as well as YouTube baker Rosanna Pansino, premiered Oct. 19. –Amaya Mendizabal (@Amayayayaya)
Ben Haenow
British-born Ben Haenow, winner of the 2014 season of The X Factor in the U.K. (under Simon Cowell’s mentorship), has teamed with another music competition victor: original American Idol queen Kelly Clarkson. Their new collab, “Second Hand Heart,” previews his Nov. 13 self-titled debut album on Syco. In January, Haenow topped the Official UK Singles chart with his cover of OneRepublic’s “Something I Need.” –Gary Trust (@gthot20)