London native Bakar is influenced by Bloc Party, Foals and Gorillaz, alongside the authentic songwriting skills of British acts including Adele and Jamie T. His debut album, Nobody’s Home, which was created with longtime collaborator and producer Zach Nahome, arrived on Black Butter in February and hit #31 in the U.K.

The artist was first noticed by agent James Whitting in 2017, after the release of “Big Dreams.” Soon afterward, Bakar signed to Black Butter. He continued to release music and build momentum, which helped provide a foundation for his live career. 2018 mixtape Badkid brought him further recognition, and his 2019 single, “Hell n Back,” solidified his artist proposition. Whitting’s fellow Wasserman agent Laura Brown continues the story: “It felt like his headline show at Kentish Town Forum in February 2022 was the real deal; the set, the visuals and the fans’ reaction to the show proved it.”

Brown first saw Bakar at Camden Assembly, where she was impressed by the passion and the energy from the crowd. “It was immense, and I have continued to witness that with him going into bigger venues,” she says. His last London headline show, at Kentish Town Forum in April—his first big headline date post-pandemic—“showed that his fans hadn’t lost any enthusiasm for him over the two years,” adds Brown.

A Reading Festival appearance this summer was a big moment. “15,000 kids managed to cram into the tent, all singing ‘Hell n Back’ word for word. It was very special. Next year, expect a new album and international ambitions to go with it. “It’s time to consolidate a lot of what has happened previously and really get out there live and grow,” concludes Brown.

STATS

• 3.6m Spotify monthly listeners
• 227k Instagram followers
• Last London headline show: Kentish Town
• Forum in April 2022, 2.3k tickets

TEAM

• Management: Bad Habit
• Label: Black Butter
• Live: James Whitting and Laura Brown, Wasserman Music outside N.A., WME for N.A.
• Publishing: Kobalt