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Why Is the U.K. Struggling to Break New Pop Acts?
Leveling up to the international stage is proving difficult and costly for rising British musicians as the U.K. struggles to mint new pop acts.
When the Official Singles Charts announced the biggest songs of the year so far in the country, only four of the top 20 were by British artists: Artemas(“I Like The Way You Kiss Me”), Cassö(“Prada” featuring Raye and D-Block Europe), Sophie Ellis-Bextor(“Murder On The Dance Floor”) and Natasha Bedingfield(“Unwritten”), the latter two enjoying a boost from film syncs in Saltburn and Anyone But You, respectively. Competing with the resources and spending that the major labels can unlock in the U.S .market is an uphill battle, but music journalist Alim Kheraj suggests it runs deeper than that: “The U.K. [industry] has been so focused on hip-hop and singer-songwriters for a while now, so perhaps that’s why there’s been fewer pop stars transferring to the global stage.” There’s been international success for Artemas and Myles Smith, whose single “Stargazing” blazed onto the Hot 100 earlier this year, and other British artists like dance act Fred Again… and rapper Central Cee, but few in the more traditional pop sphere. Charli XCX ’s first megahits — “Boom Clap” and Iggy Azalea team-up “Fancy” — were released in 2014; a decade later, she’s a key endorsement for Kamala Harris in the upcoming U.S. presidential election and in the midst of a Brat Summer.
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