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Mercury Music Prize


Gemmill
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  • 1 month later...
The chair of the Mercury Prize has claimed that black British female artists are being ignored by the British public.

 

Simon Frith told the BBC that "Britain has a blind-spot" when it comes to new female urban acts.

 

The xx - this year's Mercury winners - have seen sales of their album increase by 300%, but last year's victor, Speech Debelle, struggled to shift copies.

 

"Black female music has always had a particularly tough time," Frith said.

 

The xx's eponymous debut album is expected to climb into the top five on Sunday, its highest chart position after more than a year on release.

 

Debelle's Speech Therapy, by contrast, sold fewer than 3,000 copies in the week following her triumph, rising to 66 in the charts before dropping out the following week.

 

"I think we've known over the years that British tastes have sort of blind-spots," Mr Frith said.

 

"It may be radio play or playlists, promoters or whatever it is. Some sort of music instantly has appeal which gets lots and lots of attention.

 

"There's other sorts of music which will struggle whether they win the Mercury or don't win the Mercury.

 

At the moment, there are no black British female singers in the UK singles and albums charts, unless they have featured on a TV talent show.

 

"Unless you are in the mode of a certain type of entertainer it's very hard space to occupy," said Mr Frith.

 

Sales of urban music in the UK are on a high - up 32.9% in the first eight months of 2010, compared to the same period last year.

 

Within the genre, black US females, such as Rihanna and Beyonce, fare well. So do their male British counterparts - with Taio Cruz, Chipmunk and Tinie Tempah all scoring top 10 hits in the 12 months.

 

This weekend's singles chart, meanwhile, will see new entries from Alesha Dixon and 2008 X Factor winner Alexandra Burke - whose Start Without You is expected to debut at number one.

 

Mr Frith has been the chair of the judges for the Mercury Prize since it started in 1992.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11251653

 

What a dick.

 

Did nobody tell him that Speech Debelle's record company totally fumbled the ball when it came to getting her CD in the shops after the Mercury announcement, so much so she left them acrimoniously.

 

"The Mercury Prize was on Tuesday, and on Friday there were no more physical albums in the shops, so, on the Mercury weekend, which would have been my biggest selling weekend, people couldn't get it. I wasn't disappointed that it didn't sell well, I was disappointed in the people I was working with."

 

Corinne Bailey Rae got to number 5 in the charts with her 2010 Mercury nominated album having sold 53,000 in the first week. She's also had a number 2 single, despite never appearing on a talent show.

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The chair of the Mercury Prize has claimed that black British female artists are being ignored by the British public.

 

Simon Frith told the BBC that "Britain has a blind-spot" when it comes to new female urban acts.

 

The xx - this year's Mercury winners - have seen sales of their album increase by 300%, but last year's victor, Speech Debelle, struggled to shift copies.

 

"Black female music has always had a particularly tough time," Frith said.

 

The xx's eponymous debut album is expected to climb into the top five on Sunday, its highest chart position after more than a year on release.

 

Debelle's Speech Therapy, by contrast, sold fewer than 3,000 copies in the week following her triumph, rising to 66 in the charts before dropping out the following week.

 

"I think we've known over the years that British tastes have sort of blind-spots," Mr Frith said.

 

"It may be radio play or playlists, promoters or whatever it is. Some sort of music instantly has appeal which gets lots and lots of attention.

 

"There's other sorts of music which will struggle whether they win the Mercury or don't win the Mercury.

 

At the moment, there are no black British female singers in the UK singles and albums charts, unless they have featured on a TV talent show.

 

"Unless you are in the mode of a certain type of entertainer it's very hard space to occupy," said Mr Frith.

 

Sales of urban music in the UK are on a high - up 32.9% in the first eight months of 2010, compared to the same period last year.

 

Within the genre, black US females, such as Rihanna and Beyonce, fare well. So do their male British counterparts - with Taio Cruz, Chipmunk and Tinie Tempah all scoring top 10 hits in the 12 months.

 

This weekend's singles chart, meanwhile, will see new entries from Alesha Dixon and 2008 X Factor winner Alexandra Burke - whose Start Without You is expected to debut at number one.

 

Mr Frith has been the chair of the judges for the Mercury Prize since it started in 1992.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11251653

 

What a dick.

 

Did nobody tell him that Speech Debelle's record company totally fumbled the ball when it came to getting her CD in the shops after the Mercury announcement, so much so she left them acrimoniously.

 

"The Mercury Prize was on Tuesday, and on Friday there were no more physical albums in the shops, so, on the Mercury weekend, which would have been my biggest selling weekend, people couldn't get it. I wasn't disappointed that it didn't sell well, I was disappointed in the people I was working with."

 

Corinne Bailey Rae got to number 5 in the charts with her 2010 Mercury nominated album having sold 53,000 in the first week. She's also had a number 2 single, despite never appearing on a talent show.

 

Regardless of that, what's the implication here - that we're racist for not buying Debelle's music, or just that we're ignorant and need educating? The big tit.

 

Got to say the Mercury prize shortlisters are a bit shit imo compared to a decade ago or longer. Really don't like what I have heard of the xx. Maybe just getting old. ;)

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  • 10 months later...

Nominees:

  • Adele - 21
  • Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
  • Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys!
  • Everything Everything - Man Alive
  • Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam
  • Gwilym Simcock - Good Days at Schloss Elmau
  • James Blake - James Blake
  • Katy B - On a Mission
  • King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine
  • Metronomy - The English Riviera
  • PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
  • Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy

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Nominees:
  • Adele - 21
  • Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
  • Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys!
  • Everything Everything - Man Alive
  • Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam
  • Gwilym Simcock - Good Days at Schloss Elmau
  • James Blake - James Blake
  • Katy B - On a Mission
  • King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine
  • Metronomy - The English Riviera
  • PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
  • Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy

 

Woooo hoooo!!!! Video for 'The Bay' shot in Torquay! Good song too!

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  • 1 month later...

Got hold of all the ones I didn't have (except Simcock unfortunately) for a listen today.

 

So far, had a go on...

 

Everything Everything - Shit

Adele - Good set of lungs on her, and that Someone Like You is a great pop song, I don't care what anyone says (like Robbie Williams Angels, you can't argue with it), but not really my bag.

Elbow - Right up my alley, but not their best

PJ Harvey - My Favourite at the moment

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Metronomy is canny and I'll give it another few goes...but Ghostpoet is the best by miles of those I hadn't heard so far. Roots Manuva must be peeved about someone stealing his act like.

Edited by Happy Face
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