Taken from this week’s Future Pop mailer. Click here to subscribe.
The UK doesn’t have much history of producing white female rappers… the only one that springs to mind is Lady Sovereign, while Wikipedia suggests Cher Lloyd and Jentina. All three are associated with the “chav” culture that was a big part of British life a decade ago, but has little representation in the media today. Mocking the working class is, thankfully, not so cool in 2018. This history makes me intrigued to see what’s in store for Brynley Plumb, aka Bryn. She counts Stormzy and Stefflon Don among her fans and covers grime songs on social media, but her musical references seem to be more American. Her new single Pull Up has a slick, autotuned sound. I had the chance to hear a few of her unreleased songs, and they’re even more commercial – verging on mainstream pop. Her Instagram is growing fast, she’s had viral videos on Facebook, and her music so far has been well received, while her tough family background gives her enough credibility to keep the haters at bay. However, she still has challenges ahead: She doesn’t fit into the UK grime scene, but I can’t see her competing with super-stylised stars like Cardi B in the US. Being part of a scene is crucial for rap artists, so Bryn will have to pull out some major hits to succeed without one.