Ed Sheeran, George Ezra, Sam Smith: The New Kings Of Blandpop?
Just last week the official charts company announced that for the first time ever the top 10 biggest selling albums in the UK during the year were all by British artists. The three bestselling albums were “X” by Ed Sheeran, “In the Lonely Hour” by Sam Smith, and “Wanted on Voyage” by George Ezra. Sheeran sold 1.7 million albums in the UK alone and Sam Smiths album was the only album to sell over one million copies on both sides of the Atlantic.
Despite his success Sheeran was damned by faint praise when the Guardian described him as “inoffensive and vaguely credible.” The Telegraph has now joined the debate saying.
“Sheeran, Smith and Ezra are the troika of the new blandpop: sensible, whispering, career-minded male singers who make One Direction look like The Ramones.”
The article continues.
“Sheeran, the 23-year-old king of the new beige, lifeless music scene, is inexplicably successful: “X”shifted 1.7m copies in Britain alone. I think this might partially explain why no economic recovery was forthcoming in 2014: listening to Sheeran’s album is like having a slow-motion lobotomy, your brain cells dying one by one, committing suicide as they yell at their wicked host, What did we do to deserve this?!”
Sam Smith is described as “a 22-year-old white boy doing a bad impersonation of Nina Simone, singing about how he hates one-night stands.”
George Ezra is slammed for saying that he loves to play gigs in churches with candles and everyone sitting down.
The trio are further described as.
“Three young blokes who now rule British music are coming out with the kind of fare Barry Manilow once produced: lounge-bar music designed to make your toes tap, and on an especially lively night your fingers click, while you never have to leave your seat.”
Despite the scathing criticisms sent their way Sheeran, Smith and Ezra continue to be successful. Sheeran was named best British artist in the inaugural BBC music awards, he is the most streamed artist on Spotify with over 860 million hits. Perhaps ironically, it is announced in the Telegraph today that Ed Sheeran was honored twice at the People’s Choice awards, being voted Favorite Male Artist and his album “X” being named Favorite Album. He beat off competition from Sam Smith, Pharrell Williams and John Legend to win the awards.
It looks as though Sam Smith is heading back to the top of the UK album chart this week, displacing Ezra who in turn displaced Sheeran. It seems that, despite the criticisms laid at their door by critics, there is no sign of a wane in the trio’s popularity with the public.
Are Sheeran, Smith and Ezra popular because they are bland, safe “vanilla” artists in a lamentable music scene? What do Inquisitr readers think?
[images – Instagram]
