There’s probably never been a time in music that there’s been so many female artists- new singers being discovered almost weekly- and not in any assembly line way, or like some supermarket sale either.
When Amy Winehouse started to happen, as is often the case, every music company wanted “their Amy model” on the artists roster.
But, this time, though some say, it’s The Adele Factor, it is and it isn’t.
Yes, the success of Adele has been one major contributing factor with music company A&R lemmings trying to replicate who and what can never be replicated, but there are now a huge variety of female talent out there- the good and the very good while, mercifully gone is the shameless, exploitative kiddie porn and pedophiliac shock pop of those behind Hit Girl.
Lupa J is one of the very good- a 16-year-old classically-trained violinist who’s produced an amazing little track called “Statues”, aided and abetted by a weirdly wonderful backing of strings and, later, a harmonica that gives the track a certain film noire sound. Clever arrangement.
The comparisons with Lorde will start, but that’s too obvious.
Scratch deeper and past the My Sweet Lorde comparisons, and Lupa J- real name Imogen Jones- who also writes her own songs, has a voice that’s more edgy, one that certainly belies her age, and a sound that reminds me of some of the very underrated and original talent in Scandinavia- talent the very good Sarah Blasko tried to emulate with her album “As Day Follows Night”, recorded in Stockholm and produced by Bjorn but which, though good, simply did not catch on in Europe and which was the plan.
Why? It sounded like good parody. And then-living with a Dane who knew her music and could impersonate, perfectly,”foreigners” like Ms Blasko doing their darnedest to sound like Bjork or Nina Pettersen from the Cardigans, the amazing looking Mette from The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, and many- too many- female Scandinavian singer-songwriters trying to be heard above those little girl voices, had me tuning out to a sound that, for a short while, made its way to parts of Asia and Japan.
But this sound never took off where it mattered most- the American music market.
In 2014 and heading into 2015, the musical landscape has changed and a singer-songwriter like Lupa J- I wish she stayed as Imogen Jones as I can’t even get my head around Jessie J, Aussie Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora- has a clear career path ahead of her.
What’s with this sudden Aussie and Kiwi music invasion, anyway?
Let’s not forget Australia’s answer to One Direction- 5 Seconds Of Summer- and the huge American success they’re having.
It must be magic dust blowing in from the Aussie coal mining industry.
While Gotye and Lorde, both from New Zealand, are saddled with that “Overnight Sensation” tag, and the pressures of following up something as hugely popular as “Royals”, with “Statues” this Aussie 16-year-old looks in no hurry to break it big with one song and have nothing else left in the bag.
While some of us wait for something new from Lorde- and it’s been a long time coming- there are no pressures, and no major music company high expectations from Imogen Jones aka Lupa J to produce more than she’s ready to do.
What one hopes is that with Gotye, Lorde and now Lupa J, we don’t see an assembly line of similar sounding singer-songwriters- especially female singer-songwriters- creating an over-supply where the consumer demand might just not be.
Hans Ebert Chairman and CEO We-Enhance Inc, Fast Track Global Ltd
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