Undercurrents in England

When Sienna Spiro began hitting the high notes in her self-composed ballad "Die on This Hill" on America's leading talk show with Jimmy Fallon, even the pianist looked up at her in admiration.

Calling Sienna Spiro the successor to Adele, a Gen Z Adele, wouldn't be wrong - Photo: thelineofbestfit

At just twenty years old, Sienna Spiro's voice already possesses a richness, depth, and soul. She reminds us of Adele when she first appeared with Chasing Pavements. It's the same fire, the same voice that seems to be confiding, telling a story, and expressing her feelings, but in Sienna Spiro's voice, we even sense a touch more endearing, more fragile, and more feminine.

Both are powerful waves, but Adele, with her mezzo-soprano voice, is a tsunami that has unleashed its full power, while Sienna Spiro, with her deep, dark, and rich voice, is an undercurrent that has yet to fully emerge.

Calling Spiro the successor to Adele, a Gen Z Adele, wouldn't be wrong. Spiro is also a British artist, and he also leans towards soulful pop songs that tear at the heartstrings.

England remains the birthplace of some of the most exciting and pioneering pop musicians. Despite the influx of music from Asia and Latin America over the decades, British music remains a rich island. And what's most special about British singers is that they seem to need no compromise, no flashy embellishments: they can be both very popular and very elegant at the same time.

SIENNA SPIRO - Die On This Hill (NYC Visualizer)

The British are very confident in their music. They can start in the most pop-oriented and audience-friendly way possible—just look at The Beatles or Harry Styles—and then they refine their musical aesthetic day by day and come back to show the audience: this is what real music worth listening to is!

This past year we've witnessed a new generation of British artists. Who was it that ended Taylor Swift's The Fate of Ophelia's week-long streak at number 1 on the Spotify charts in the US and many other countries?

The answer is "Man I Need," a song by Olivia Dean, a singer also from England. Olivia Dean's music is also heavily influenced by soul/jazz, and has a somewhat classical feel, similar to Sienna Spiro.

But if Sienna Spiro leans towards "melancholy music," it's very heartfelt, very contemplative, very intense, very passionate. It has to be passionate to see love as a hill where we are willing to die, like the title of her hit song "Die on this hill."

Olivia Dean's music is brighter, with an R&B rhythm that makes you want to dance and feel alive. "Die on this hill" is a song to end a relationship, while Olivia Dean's "Man I Need" is a song to start one. An inviting, flirtatious, and provocative song.

Man I Need is included in The Art of Loving, an album that topped the UK charts for weeks and earned Olivia Dean a nomination for Best New Artist at this year's Grammy Awards. The album title means "the art of loving".

What is Olivia Dean's art of love? It's certainly different from Taylor Swift's. Swift tells love stories like a novelist, with encounters, separations, betrayals, and hesitations—every emotion is heightened. Olivia Dean, on the other hand, tells love stories with more reflection, forgiveness, and optimism: "Love is never wasted," "There's still good in goodbyes."

Another name from England appearing on the list of nominees for Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards is Lola Young. Another British phenomenon, Lola Young doesn't pursue a mature, introspective musical image, like a love diary, like Olivia Dean or Sienna Spiro.

Her music takes the electric guitar as its backbone. The sharp, harsh guitar sound creates a sidewalk, street atmosphere. If Spiro evokes the image of young ladies in a study or, a more clichéd comparison, English roses in an exquisite crystal vase, and Dean is an elegant cabaret singer, then Lola Young is a rebellious girl.

She's not a flower. Perhaps she's bark, rough and coarse. She swears in the titles of her songs, and the lyrics further emphasize her arrogance and recklessness. Her rawness, messiness, and constant readiness to "fight" the world, yet still possessing a feminine quality, contrasts sharply with the smooth, elegant demeanor of Dean and Spiro.

Whether or not the Grammy Awards go to the UK, we know that British undercurrents are rising once again.

Hien Trang

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/song-ngam-nuoc-anh-20260201102551278.htm