When a new artist drops a debut album or single, and it climbs the charts, most listeners instinctively begin searching for comparisons within the genre to those they already know, lining up its sound with those who came before. Asking or saying to themselves, for example, in rap, "Does this sound like early Drake?", "He's got that Jay-Z/Lil Wayne flow," while some pop artists are compared to the aura of Michael Jackson, and technically precise performers are sometimes viewed through the prism of Prince.
Music often uses a proven frame to determine rising talent. That's exactly how NFL scouting works, too, when evaluating player measurables, traits on tape, and the makeup of prospects who wish to play on Sundays.