The British Invasion Redux: 7 UK Artists Making Waves Across the Pond

The British are coming (again) with some of Britain’s hottest acts since the 1960s.

Written by Lauren Cook

UK rapper Stormzy. Photo courtesy of Versus

As common knowledge would have it, the histories of Great Britain and the United States are deeply intertwined, with the former imperialist power giving birth to the latter. While the two nations share similar interests in forcing their influences all over the world, American artists traditionally found more success in attracting fans from across the Atlantic. That all changed with a cultural shift known as the British Invasion. Throughout the 1960s, British youths repurposed rock and roll, giving it a proper British spin that forever changed the genre. This movement gave birth to bands like the Rolling Stones, The Animals, and other “the” named bands. By far the most popular band from this era was The Beatles, starting their own pop culture phenomenon known as “Beatlemania.”

While the first British Invasion began to die out by the ’70s, it opened doors for other UK artists to make a name for themselves overseas. Every decade or so, a new wave of UK musicians appears on the American soundscape. But no “Invasion” has been quite as impactful as the original since many of the new artists blend in sonically with American acts rather than bringing something different to the table.

However, that has started to change. A new tide of British artists is rushing in, bringing along with them grime, UK garage, and even a bit of Britpop revival. But what’s even more impressive and unprecedented is the amount of brown and Black artists that are leading the charge. Here are seven UK acts that are bringing uniquely British sounds into the American mainstream.

Stormzy

Stormzy is the UK’s top boy at the moment. He first caught the attention of the UK underground grime scene on YouTube through his Wicked Skengman freestyle series posted in 2014. That same year, he dropped his debut EP, Dreamers Disease, and won Best Grime Act at the MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards. Grime’s growth in popularity in the UK and around the world is almost synonymous with Stormzy’s rise to fame. His debut studio album, Gang Signs & Prayer, became the first grime album to achieve #1 on the UK Albums Chart and won Album of the Year at the BRIT Awards over the well-established Ed Sheeran in 2018.

In 2019, Stormzy made history by becoming the first grime act and Black solo artist to headline Glastonbury, and did so wearing a one-of-a-kind Union Jack stab vest gifted to him by the world-renowned anonymous street artist Banksy. His most recent release, Heavy is the Head, has continued to expand his international acclaim, making the 26-year-old the most recognizable face of grime.

Skepta

One of the more seasoned grime rappers, Skepta had been involved in the UK grime scene long before cracking commercial success in America. He started his music journey as a DJ hopping around from one rap collective to another before founding his own, Boy Better Know, with his brother and fellow MC, JME, in 2006. Around this time, Skepta began MCing himself after Wiley — aka the “Godfather of Grime” — suggested he do so. Skepta’s rap career began to attract international attention after Boy Better Know beat A$AP Mob at the Red Bull Culture Clash in 2014. The encounter with A$AP Mob would lead Skepta to collaborate with some of the members including, most notably, A$AP Rocky.

From there, he would garner attention and respect from other American rap giants like Kanye West, Drake and Pharrell. His 2016 album, Konnichiwa, became the highest charting grime album by reaching #2 on the UK charts, before being dethroned by Stormzy’s #1 in 2017. Skepta remains one of the most recognizable keystone figures in grime both in the UK and across the pond.

Little Simz

Little Simz is Britain’s premiere female rapper and singer. The 25-year-old artist began putting out mixtapes and EPs back in 2010. A true wordsmith with a sophisticated flow, Little Simz has no shortage of accolades and cosigns. Her 2013 EP, Blank Canvas, was featured on Jay-Z’s Life+Times pop culture website. She has received praise from the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Lauryn Hill and has toured with Gorillaz, Anderson .Paak, and Ab-soul. However, cracking into the industry hasn’t been easy for the female artist.

After struggling to find a label to support her, Simz created her own, AGE 101. Simz’s career has been a testament to the challenges UK female rappers face, but her hard work has led her to become one of the most celebrated in the game. On top of her prolific music career, Little Simz plays the the character Shelley on the critically-acclaimed Netflix show, “Top Boy.” Simz is a true triple threat who shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Mura Masa

Mura Masa is one of Britain’s most talented producers and songwriters. He began uploading mixes to Soundcloud when he was 17 years old and released his first EP, Someday Somewhere, in 2015. The EP quickly picked up traction, with the track “Firefly” finding its way onto BBC Radio 1’s “In New Music We Trust” playlist. From there his popularity grew, attracting the likes of A$AP Rocky, Damon Albarn of Gorillaz, Clairo and more on his projects.

Though straying from typical UK EDM sounds for something more genre-fluid, Mura Masa distinctly captures the life and nostalgia of growing up in Great Britain through his music videos. His videos are often simple portraits of UK “ends,” or neighborhoods and their inhabitants. Just this past week, Mura Masa made his first US TV debut on Jimmy Fallon, proving that he’s not going anywhere soon.

Arlo Parks

Arlo Parks is the UK’s latest newcomer. A poet long before she was a singer, she released her first single “Cola” in 2018 at just 18 years old. Her popularity grew exponentially with the releases of her debut EP, Super Sad Generation, in April 2019, and her sophomore EP, Sophie, at the end of November 2019. In an interview with NME, Parks described her music as being “confessional, raw and fluid.” Her dreamy vocals and laidback production add to the honesty and relatability of her music, making her quick rise to fame a no-brainer.

In that same interview with NME, Parks stated that her goals for 2020 are to finish her debut album, tour in the US, and collaborate with other new artists. Just two months into the year, it appears Parks is already on track to accomplish at least one of those goals. Parks’ headliner tour of the UK and the US starts this spring, and she will be making a pit stop in Austin for SXSW.

Bakar

Bakar makes music that sounds like it belongs in a coming-of-age film — it’s raucous, angsty, and still trying to figure out what it wants to be. Although Bakar’s music has been classified as alternative rock, his sound draws on a lot of different genres. 2018’s Badkid sounds as if it were cut from the same Britpop cloth as Parklife from ‘90s band Blur. However, his latest EP, Will You Be My Yellow?, takes no single approach in terms of sound, pulling influences from R&B, rock, and folk tunes.

Since appearing on the scene in 2017, Bakar has already received praise from Skepta and Elton John. He also received a co-sign from American fashion designer and DJ Virgil Abloh, who had Bakar walk for Abloh’s second Louis Vuitton collection, making Bakar someone to watch in both the fashion and music world.

Loyle Carner

Loyle Carner is the UK’s hip-hop softboy. Departing from the sometimes braggadocious and hard-hitting grime that finds itself at the forefront of Britain’s rap landscape, Loyle Carner’s music comes across as therapeutic. He first broke through in 2017 with his debut Yesterday’s Gone. The album was instantly popular and provided a fresh take on the hip-hop genre. Carner’s flow is breezy, coasting over the backing beats. Each track is accompanied by a soulful jazz groove that aids in the telling of his personal confessions and convictions. His most recent release, Not Waving, But Drowning, features the likes of Jorja Smith, Sampha and Tom Misch. While he might not be as in your face as some of the other UK rappers, Carner’s music is a subtle earworm you’ll want to keep around.

While the first British Invasion opened the doors for UK artists to infiltrate mainstream American music, it largely left out musicians of color who had originally helped create and repurpose some of the genres that defined the movement. Unlike the ones before it, this new wave is headed by mainly Black and brown musicians from a wide set of backgrounds and upbringings. Both invasions were political in nature too, but this time, marginalized voices are at the forefront.

Afterglow ATXFebruary 25, 2020