Thanks lots and lots to Susie Bubble for her recent post about RWD.Ms Bubble makes the point about RWD being pigeonholed as an urban title when is that what we really are? Initially when known as Sass, it was a grime/ UKG magazine. As the years have rolled on, we've opened editorial to concentrate not only on emerging scenes like bassline or dubstep, but also concentrated on fashion and lifestyle as well as acts considered more 'pop.' With the advent of the iPod shuffle and MySpace we've tried to be a lot more reflective of young people's listening tastes and spending habits. Granted there are the grime faithful who listen to grime and grime only, but the vast majority of kids will hit up Dizzee's MySpace to listen to him before clicking through his Top 8 that include the Arctic Monkeys and so on. Whatever 'urban' was or is, it isn't any more. R&B, hip hop and now grime artists are 'Pop' by which I mean popular. The idea of being an 'urban' title is so outdated to us, especially when kids that were traditionally only into indie will bops to Wiley or Skepta, and kids who love Sorcher or Chippy will also listen to Lykki Li or whatever.
We've had so much grief at RWD for putting in the likes of Kate Nash, Cassette Playa, Adele, Spank Rock or even M.I.A. but we don't give a monkeys. What kid do you know that still rocks a Rocawear trackie and listens only to Rinse sets? And how many more do you know on the skinny jean wearing, customised trainer, skinny fit one-away T and an iPod with everything from Sinden to Scorcher? Exxxxactly.
Times, music and fashion has changed, and so has the way we access, listen and wear it. Advertisers need to catch up and catch up quick!
Check Susie here:
Style Bubble
Here's the shoot by the fantastic Richard Shoyemi that made Susie write the post in the first place:
2 comments:
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I don't agree, I think its really easy to assume that the majority of RWD readers are these so called people who listen to all sorts of music. Granted I feel that there is a scene of people who appreciate Wiley as much as Artic Monkeys. But I bet if you did a survey of your rwd readers I bet it would show that majority of people don't really listen to indie music and only say they do because thats the in thing to do! I still think that the majority of urban music listeners only listen to urban music.
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