Throughout history, plenty of British acts have been thought of as the pinnacle of musical greatness. Some of the past greats include the likes of The Beatles, Queen, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Spice Girls and, yes, even One Direction … and that just begins to scratch the surface. It has been a number of years, however, since the UK has produced such a top tier group of musicians producing music at such a high caliber simultaneously.
As you can tell from the artists listed above, the UK is no stranger to producing hit musical groups. In a similar fashion to One Direction, Little Mix was formed on the British reality competition show “The X Factor” in 2011. They became the U.K.’s largest girl group since the inception of The Spice Girls in 1994 with a very similar pop sound to Fifth Harmony. The group recently went on hiatus after finishing the tour for their sixth studio album, “Confetti” (2020), but insists that they will be returning. Little Mix has become one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, selling over 60 million records worldwide. They have had several no. 1 singles, including “Wings,” “Black Magic,” “Shoutout To My Ex” and “Sweet Melody.”
Ed Sheeran is a British singer/songwriter who opened for Taylor Swift on her Red Tour in 2012 with his debut album “+,” catapulting him to fame. Though his music typically spans soft rock and folk pop, Ed also includes elements of hip hop, rap and R&B into his records. He’s very consistent in his sound and his brand as a very ‘real person’ who happens to be a celebrity. Over the course of five studio albums, Sheeran has won five Grammy awards and has become the most streamed artist on Spotify with 83.8 million monthly listeners (nearly 6 million more listeners than Justin Bieber, who is the second most streamed artist).
It’s hard to talk about the world of pop music without having a discussion about Adele. Though she may not be considered pure pop music by production standards, Adele has found a way to let her cutting words and powerful vocals speak to the masses. With her contemporary sound she has amassed wide appeal, critical acclaim and 15 Grammy awards. Her most recent album, “30” (2021), explores the struggle of her divorce and motifs of self-discovery in this new stage of her life. Each of her four studio albums having gone no. 1, Adele has a Las Vegas residency that is currently being delayed due to concerns of the global pandemic.
Dua Lipa made a name for herself with her self-titled debut album in 2017 with chart-topping hit singles, like “New Rules,” “IDGAF” and “Be The One.” Dua launched herself into superstardom with the release of her sophomore album “Future Nostalgia” (2020), cementing herself as a main pop girl. This album continues to dominate the radio over two years later with epic singles like “Don’t Start Now,” “Physical” and “Levitating.” While “Future Nostalgia” experimented with disco pop, it has been reported that Dua is currently working on her third studio album that she has described as a more mature pop album focusing on self-empowerment. In the meantime, you can catch her on her global tour, on the cover of Vogue, or on the runway modeling for Donatella Versace.
Moving a bit deeper into the pop sphere, Charli XCX is known for the extreme technopop sound in her music known as ‘hyperpop.’ Hyperpop makes use of fully digital sounds in order to create a very technological production. It’s a genre pioneered by SOPHIE and A. G. Cook that is especially lauded by the queer community for its upbeat, danceable, maximalist melody. Although Charli XCX isn’t necessarily a mainstream artist, she is undoubtedly the most well-known artist of the hyperpop genre. In the past she has produced standout tracks like “Boom Clap,” “Boys,” “Break The Rules” and “Vroom Vroom.” Her most recent album “Crash” is the closest that she has come to producing a mainstream pop album.
Most recently, international sensation Harry Styles dropped his third studio album “Harry’s House.” A former member of One Direction, Styles has made himself into a global superstar with his eccentric takes on fashion, his progressive views on social issues and the massive appeal of his pop/rock sound. His sophomore album, “Fine Line,” became a smashing success balancing a genre of alt rock and pop. “Harry’s House” feels like a natural progression and evolution from his previous sound, exploring different musical elements, ultimately landing in the territory of psychedelic rock. Styles is the closest thing we have to a classic rock star — somewhere between a modern day David Bowie, Kurt Cobain and Mick Jagger.