Brit Beat: Britpop Roars Back as Blur Bound to the Top
variety.comMark Sutherland Britpop is back – and so are Blur. The reunited mainstay of the ‘90s movement that ruled the U.K. charts and led to the wider ‘Cool Britannia’ movement — ahem, with Oasis, of course — recently played their biggest shows ever at the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium.
But proof that it’s not just about nostalgia arrived as Blur’s comeback album, “The Ballad of Darren,” debuted at No.1 on the U.K.
Albums Chart last week. The album shifted over 44,000 copies in its first week, according to the Official Charts Company, despite being announced too late to be bundled with Wembley ticket sales.
And Jennifer Ivory, managing director of Blur’s label Parlophone, says the success is “testament to how much people want to listen to a new Blur album.” “Everyone’s been blown away by the album from the get-go,” Ivory tells Variety. “It’s not just appreciation for Blur being back, it’s appreciation for the new music as well.
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