Reflection on The Decline of Britpop
Louise Venus from Sleeper reflected on the decline of Britpop by the end of the 90s, stating that the genre became “embarrassed.”
- Read more: Rock 'N' Roll kills BrainCells?! – Louise Venus, Sleeper
The singer spoke about the rise and fall of the genre during a recent interview on Radio X. This coincided with the group’s announcement of plans to embark on a tour at the end of this year to celebrate their classic single “Inbetweener” and the debut album “Smart.”
Insights Into The Band’s Journey
During the conversation, she reminisced about the group’s split in 1998 and the release of her second album “The It Girl” in 1996, alongside “I Am Glad to Meet You” in 1997, explaining why the members believed it was time to part ways.
“It just reached the end of the road, really. I didn’t sell the third album so well,” she stated on The Chris Moyles Show. “Britpop was like … it was like an explosion. It fell apart a little. I also think that it became a little embarrassed.”
She added, “It became so ironic, and everyone started making rather dark albums. (So) the mood changed, I think.
Sleeper is set to release their comeback album “The Modern Age” next year, following the release of “This Time Tomorrow” in 2021.
When asked if the upcoming anniversary tour meant the group was working on new material, Venus confirmed that the band had already begun writing music together.
“Yes, it will definitely be, yes. It will be amazing,” she said. “Now I’m showcasing things, and it’s a little different, about which I won’t discuss too much, but I really love it.”
In total, 12 new tour dates were confirmed, kicking off on September 25 in Cardiff. The tour will also stop in Bristol, Leeds, London, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Glasgow, Nottingham, and Oxford. Tickets go on sale this Friday (January 31) and will be available here.
Venus is not the only Britpop star to have openly discussed the genre’s decline in recent years. Back in 2019, Suede frontman Brett Anderson admitted in an interview that he despised the term and sought to separate the group from it.
“I distanced myself from that as soon as I saw it becoming a cartoonish nationalism,” he remarked.
During that time, Skunk Anansie singer Skin also expressed disdain for the Britpop label, describing it as “a large fat dead fish.”
“Everyone wanted to talk about this: Britpop, Britpop, Britpop,” she told NME. “But after some time, when it grew larger and more fierce, we really didn’t want to be a part of it.”
Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes also shared similar sentiments, noting that the mid-90s were perceived differently from how they are remembered now.
“We enjoyed the music, but did not want to be associated with the chaos of that era,” he explained.
This perspective is not exclusive to those involved in the movement, as pop star Dua Lipa recently commented on the genre, calling some bands’ past behavior “disgusting.”
“Sometimes you have to separate art from the artist … It’s more about the music that connects me,” she noted.
As for Sleeper, back in 2019, Venus spoke with NME as part of Rock -N -Roll kills BrainCells?! and reminisced about some of the group’s significant moments. You can find the full interview here.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/sleeper-louise-wener-britpop-imploded-after-becoming-embarrassed-of-itself-3832945?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sleeper-louise-wener-britpop-imploded-after-becoming-embarrassed-of-itself
