Top 10 Predictions for 2011

Here are my ideas of how the music industry might develop in 2011… let’s see if I’m right!

1. The distinction between album campaigns will become more fluid – Pixie, Ellie and Alexandra have all jumped on the extreme revamp of debut album bandwagon, while The Saturdays were so enthusiastic in following Lady GaGa’s trend, I’m not sure even they know how many albums they’ve released anymore.

2. Female rap will take over… then be quickly forgotten about – Cher, Willow, Nicki and Jessie will lead the way (Maybe it’s time for a Jentina comeback? Or not…) but I don’t feel this trend will last.

3. Values of authenticity and sincerity will begin to creep back into the mainstream – Matt Cardle’s X Factor win shows the public are ready for it. Idiots.

4. Popstars will be YOUNG – Justin Bieber has inspired a legion of mini-pops, with Willow Smith and One Direction being only the first of many examples I expect to see in 2011.

5. Pop will be indified – This trend has been brewing in Scandinavia for a while (even A1 are doing it) and All Time Low heralded its arrival in the UK. Expect to hear much more in 2011.

6. Dubstep and the Labrinth/Tinie Tempah sound will influence a new style of pop, which I’m officially naming dubpop!

7. Indie covers of classic hits – after Ellie Goulding and Fyfe Dangerfield’s songs for the John Lewis ads were such a success, I reckon other vaguely alternative acts will attempt to do the same.

8. Everyone will have their own online TV show – The Wanted gained massively from this in 2010, and the YouTube most viewed charts are frequently filled with popstar video blogs. Dare Jessie J shows how it should be done.

9. Pop songs will become simpler, aiming for a more classic rather than futuristic sound. Hurts are a great example of the kind of pop band that I expect to be presented with as music buyers’ priorities change.

10. And who knows what else? There’s only one thing we can safely predict about the future of pop music and that is that it will be unpredictable! Who would have guessed that Taio Cruz would have a US number one or that The Saturdays would work with Flo Rida? 2010 has been a year of surprises and I’m sure 2011 will be too!

Make sure you come back in January to find out what I think of all the acts being suggested as the next big thing for 2011. Then again, you might not want to bother, since this year I predicted Erik Hassle and Daisy Dares You would be big. Oops…

0 comments

  1. Absolutely agree with you that songs will be simpler to not acceptable before condition. But I bet futuristic will be…if not bigger than classic form then at least in the same quantity.

    Authenticity and sincerity – I hope it will be huge demand for them though I can't feel if it has increased or decreased this year.

  2. I reckon you've made a few very accurate predictions there!

    Biggest disappointment of the year for me was Erik Hassle not making it over here – right music, wrong time I guess.

    Unfortunately there appears to be no end in sight for the autotuned r'n'b rubbish and the 'dubpop' (I know a lot of people like it, but…) but once everyone gets sick of that, I think there will be a return to a 'simpler' sound. I can't wait!!

  3. most of these are most likely to happen but you never know coz i am posting this in 2011 so times have changed alot but the truth still remains
    there needs to be much more rap and were did rock'n'roll go?
    its time for a change!

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