<\/p>\n
BBC Radio 1\u2019s Jack Saunders<\/span><\/a> has welcomed the return of \u201creal voices\u201d in pop music.<\/span><\/p>\n The host of <\/span>Radio 1\u2019s New Music Show was speaking in the latest edition of Music Week about the key role the slot plays for the UK industry, including Radio 1\u2019s Hottest Record.<\/span><\/p>\n Skye Newman was recently crowned winner of the <\/span>BBC Radio 1 Sound Of 2026<\/span><\/a>. And there have been encouraging signs of a chart revival for domestic talent.<\/span><\/p>\n Saunders won the Radio Show category at the <\/span>Music Week Awards 2025<\/span><\/a>. The presenter and tastemaker admits to feeling \u201cincredibly proud\u201d about the honour, which now sits on top of his home record collection.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s next to my <\/span>vinyl<\/span><\/a> player,\u201d he told Music Week. \u201cI haven\u2019t won much for my broadcasting over the years. I\u2019ve only ever had my head down trying to improve. So to be recognised was a really nice thing; it meant a lot to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Here, Jack Saunders offers his take on the impact of UK talent amid high hopes for a <\/span>new wave of breakthrough stars<\/span><\/a>\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n Considering the domestic and international success of some key British acts in the past year, how would you assess the state of UK talent right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cTwo years ago, it felt quite bleak. We didn\u2019t really know where the next voice was coming from, but something clicked [in 2025]. People want real voices in pop music, like <\/span>Olivia Dean<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Lola Young<\/span><\/a>, Skye Newman, <\/span>Sienna Spiro<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Rachel Chinouriri<\/span><\/a>. Sam [Fender] has also done brilliantly, but a lot of them are amazing British female talents being impactful because they\u2019re writing music that people can attach to and imprint their lives onto. It\u2019s down to the artists, their songwriting, and how they\u2019re able to bring their experiences to life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n People want real voices in pop music, like Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Skye Newman, Sienna Spiro, Rachel Chinouriri<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Jack Saunders<\/p>\n
\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Do you see the trend of global UK breakouts continuing in 2026?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, 100% \u2013 and not just in pop music, look at rap as well \u2013 EsDeeKid is flying. Over the years, the likes of Skepta, <\/span>Central Cee<\/span><\/a>, Stormzy and others have ruffled feathers [in the US], but they\u2019ve never quite dug their claws in. Central Cee has probably got closest, but it feels like EsDeeKid, Fakemink and <\/span>Jim Legxacy<\/span><\/a> can move the dial, affect the culture and the sound. I think US rap is in a tricky spot at the moment. There was a story that, in October last year, it was the first time in 30-odd years [since February 1990] that there hadn\u2019t been a US rap track in the Hot 100 Top 40, so people are looking elsewhere, and with a more universal viewpoint.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rock music \u2013 a genre dear to your heart \u2013 also returned to the mainstream this year. What do you think is behind its comeback?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI think rock needs its EsDeeKid, so to speak. It needs that culture-shifting band to make an impact. I don\u2019t think labels are necessarily picking up bands like they used to; it\u2019s harder to work them because of\u00a0 costs, but it\u2019s the same at the grassroots level as well. Why would I start a band when I could just open my laptop and start producing beats or singing in my bedroom? That\u2019s why local venues are so important, because they bring those creatives together. And with the right kind of drive to make sure we\u2019re keeping these venues open and accessible, I think we can get back to a good place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut you\u2019re right, at the upper end, [the likes of] Sleep Token are flying the flag. They\u2019ve bucked the trend and done something different, and that\u2019s what people want \u2013 that fresh, exciting, new thing that they\u2019ve discovered or been a part of. <\/span>Sleep Token<\/span><\/a> and Bring Me The Horizon are British-born and bred, and at the top of their game. They\u2019ve opened their world, genre-wise, and feel more expansive and global, but that\u2019s taken years. I don\u2019t think you can expect a band to come along and do that instantly. That\u2019s going to take time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n What other genres or scenes are catching your eye at the moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI mentioned it already, but the UK rap scene is so exhilarating right now. I\u2019m also excited to see where the fledgling popstars like Sienna and Skye will go. They are starting to make their mark and I think they could have a big moment this year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Rock needs that culture-shifting band to make an impact<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Jack Saunders<\/p>\n
\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In your view, what is the role of radio in terms of helping new acts?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cConsistency. It\u2019s not a flash-in-the-pan moment. If someone hears a song on the radio on a consistent basis, twinned with it popping up on their timelines and algorithms, plus hearing it in shops or on adverts, all of a sudden, the dots start to join and it starts to make sense. But <\/span>radio is key to tying it all together<\/span><\/a>. It legitimises the music, so it continues to hold such an important piece of the puzzle for an artist and their growth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Do you think the music industry look after artists well enough?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s gotten a lot better \u2013 a lot better \u2013 at understanding that artists need space to have downtime and you can\u2019t just run them ragged. If you run your artists into the ground and don\u2019t give them the support they need mentally, they\u2019re going to burn out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Is the business looking for new music in the right places?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s slowly getting there. Live is taking precedence again. Covid didn\u2019t help things; I think it put everyone\u2019s focal points in the wrong places. It goes back to what I was saying earlier: people want music with tangible humanity, and the only place you\u2019re going to find that is by <\/span>going to see a band live<\/span><\/a> or sitting down and really listening to a piece of music. Someone with five million monthly listeners doesn\u2019t necessarily dictate a big audience, in a live sense. If you want to really see if an audience is engaged with an artist, go and see them live.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n