Michael Hann

The world is on fire – yet navel-gazing still reigns in pop

At the Empire, Raye sang about self-esteem and addiction, while at Ally Pally The The offered assorted barbs about Thatcherism

Raye and her band, sounding lithe, sinuous and responsive, at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire. Image: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo 
issue 05 October 2024

There is no better cultural weather vane than pop. It’s not that pop singers possess incredible analytical skills – they don’t. It’s more that it’s in their interests to reflect some prevailing mood. And what people call a vibe shift can often be gleaned by comparing two artists. Take those featured this week: one very much au courant, the other regarded as a searing commentator on 1980s Britain.

It’s a very good album, one for sitting down and listening to rather than standing in a vast shed to hear

Over the past couple of years, Raye – a 26-year-old Londoner – has...

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