2018 in British Music

The Story of 2018

British rap and grime dominated like never before. Dave's 'Psychodrama' wasn't released until 2019, but his singles 'Question Time', 'Funky Friday' and 'Location' with Burna Boy established him as the most important young voice in British music. Stormzy was now a household name. J Hus released 'Big Conspiracy' in 2020, but his 2017 album 'Common Sense' was still reverberating. The drill scene was exploding – OFB, Incognito and Digga D were pushing the sound, though facing police scrutiny. George the Poet's 'Have You Heard George's Podcast?' won the Mercury Prize in a new category. Florence + the Machine's 'High as Hope' was beautiful. The 1975's 'A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships' was critically acclaimed, a concept album about internet culture. Ariana Grande's 'Sweetener' was huge. British music was increasingly defined by its urban scene – grime, drill and Afroswing were the sounds of young Britain. The guitar bands that had dominated the 2000s were a distant memory.