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2009: A Year in Music

Written by Jennifer Jaconelli
Tuesday, 29 December 2009 07:10

2009 has been a remarkable year in the world of music. Globally, recording artists have exceeded all expectations by being continually pioneering. We’ve witnessed the mainstream ignition of certain genres that were once only followed underground and this has brought enhanced diversity to the music scene.

The unexpected has become expected due to the emphatically progressive and endlessly entertaining collection of artists that this year has seen.

In the first chart of 2009, Beyoncé reached the UK number one spot with her lustfully vivacious track "Single Ladies".  This was a pertinent artist to set off the year in music, as she is representative of high esteem. This can be seen by the various accolades she has received this year, including being named ‘Woman of 2009’ by Billboard and gaining the title of ‘Artist of the Decade’ by The Observer. Beyoncé has led the realm of strong, independent and talented female artists of 2009. Amongst which is Lady Ga Ga, who has wowed the public with her lurid attire, enigmatic persona and most importantly, her epically futuristic songs. Lady Ga Ga has become the first woman in history to have three UK number ones in a year and she has been the most listened to artist online, with tracks from her album ‘The Fame’ being played over 18.5m times, supporting the notion that 2009 has been a year to celebrate females in the industry.  There has also been an influx of powerful British female artists, including the fantastical Florence + The Machine, who’s revolutionary album Lungs has been in the UK top 40 chart for 22 consecutive weeks.

The Grime scene has come to the forefront in British music this year. There has been a form of redefinition, catapulting this genre into the mainstream. Chipmunk, DJ Ironik, Tinchy Stryder and N-Dubz have become amongst the acts to give Grime an approachable popularity. Of course, Grime is an imperative facet of urban music and it is good to see credit being given lyrical masters who spearhead their own musical style whilst also incorporating sounds and genres far removed from Grime, to create innovative tracks that appeal to a broad audience.

There has also been an influx of electro pop inspired acts throughout 2009, including La Roux and Frankmusik who have used synths and samples reminiscent of the 80s to give electronic sounds that people have gone wild for. Little Boots has also helped contribute to this new echelon of pop that is set to rocket through 2010. Recognition has also grown for electro/pop/rock with bands such as The Temper Trap and The Big Pink and dance/punk bands such as Friendly Fires who bring a mellowed airy whim to the alternative scene.

The advent of talent show contestants attempting to break into the music world has become a prominent occurrence. Since the discovery of the flawless vocals of Leona Lewis, there seems to have been an alteration in the calibre of contestants. The 2008 winner of the X Factor, Alexandra Burke has already gained two UK number ones, and the R’n’B boy band runners up, JLS, have also scored a number one hit and album. It seems that the days where a victory on a reality singing show equated to releasing one single and then disappearing of the face of the earth have ceased. In the same vein, Susan Boyle shocked the judges and the accompanying x-million viewers with her angelic vocals on Britain’s Got Talent. Not only she been living proof that dreams really can come true, she broke records when her debut album, ‘I dreamed a dream’ became the fastest selling album of all time.

The most monumental event in the music industry this year was of course the devastating death of Michael Jackson, in June. Jackson has been a central inspiration for countless artists and his music not only remains loved, but is still current after decades. The talent that Jackson had is such a rarity that he is still proving to be ahead of his time in music after his death. It is a comfort that his music will live on forever.

2009 has seen a plethora of musical genres enter the charts, which is demonstrative of the varied creative talents amongst recording artists worldwide. Styles are merging to create sub-styles with endless possibilities and exciting potential. This ground-breaking expansion shows considerable promise for the next decade of music. It is impossible to give credence to all of the musical triumphs of 2009, but as can be seen, this year has been victorious.