The Voice Newspaper Head to Head: Is urban music chart success just a phase? YES!

It's Voice column round three for me this week, and a tough match up with London360 blogger extraordinaire Rosa Doherty to argue if urban music chart success is just a phase.

We've interviewed our fair share of urban music artists recently, from Wretch 32 to Chipmunk, which, to me, is a sign of the times; it feels like there's more top urban artists in the charts than ever, and since most of it is made by homegrown British talent, long may it continue.

That's especially true when it's giving really interesting genres some well deserved exposure. You wouldn't have seen dubstep from the likes of Flux Pavilion without the Grime scene coming out of East London, or Kanye sampling I Can't Stop on Watch the Throne.

However, the music industry being what it is, I imagine it will all have changed in another couple of years, as I've argued below. Maybe not a bad thing, since that gives urban music as chance to re-group, develop a new scene and come back without all that autotune nonsense AND it means we can hear more guitar music back in the charts.

You can read the full article in The Voice newspaper (9th February edition) and join the debate with your comments on their website, but below is my (slightly longer) original version with some links included for your browsing pleasure. You can also read Rosa's extended edition on her London360 blog.

Urban music chart success is just a phase

Yes says Tom Whiter

Remember Incubus? Didn’t think so. It was 2002 when they sang “Everything goes in circles,” and their alt-rock/nu-metal hybrid musical style was selling out stadiums nationwide, alongside the likes of Linkin’ Park and Papa Roach. Unfortunately for them, they were spot on.
 

Fast forward ten years and urban music is having its day in the sun. Don’t get me wrong; I love urban music. A quick glance at my iPod’s Recently Added playlist would tell you as much. Hip-Hop, Grime, DnB and Dubstep, it’s all on there. But the fact is, things change. Whether it’s clothes, food or music, trends come and go and things come full circle; like all the genres that have come before it, the success of urban music in the charts is nothing but a phase.
 

Take 2011 for example, 5 of the top 10 best selling singles of last year are what you could class as urban music, whether British (Jessie J), American (LMFAO) or from elsewhere (Rihanna). 2001’s list, on the other hand, is full of Westlife, S Club 7 and Hear’Say. 1991’s boasts Bryan Adams, Queen and Right Said Fred. Is it likely 2011’s list will look like 2021’s? History tells us otherwise.
 

I’d venture it’s the result of a couple of factors, although which is the cause and which the effect is up there with the chicken vs. the egg debate. On one hand you have the record companies, scouring for talent and ‘the next big thing’. When they stumble across a scene like Grime in East London, they mine it to exhaustion; Dizzee Rascal is followed by Wretch 32 is followed by Dot Rotten. Rosters fill with similar artists and suddenly there’s no room for any more. Time to stop copying each other and to find something new. 
 

On the other hand you have us: the media and the public. We hanker after new releases, we gossip about an artist’s latest reinvention, we blog and download and wait for the next ‘battle for the top spot’ before getting bored and moving on, summed up beautifully in this 'Sound of... 2012' satire from the Hundred Dance Moves A Minute blog. Meanwhile the music press sneers and moans and hypes and predicts: is the band we recommended to you last month actually rubbish? Everything changes, yet everything stays the same. Pop takes on a few new influences and the outsiders become the mainstream. 
 

Urban music is already changing and morphing as The Wanted sing over dubstep beats and Tinie Tempah spits over Europop. Go compare BBC Radio 1Xtra’s playlist with Radio 1’s if you don’t believe me; you won’t find Wiley, Mavado and the latest MCs on the latter. No, now the ‘new boring’ is here (according to The Guardian and Pop Justice’s Peter Robinson) and between Birdy, the return of Leona Lewis and Lana Del Ray we’ll all be put to sleep by 2012 musical offerings - bring on the beige! Don’t worry, urban music won’t be gone, it’ll just be out of the charts for a bit.
 

As for Incubus, well I’ve just bought their latest album, the first from the band in over five years; apparently they’re touring here fairly soon - anyone for a comeback?

@TomWhiter