Pop: The Politics of Desire

Available for 43 days

Who gets to be a Pop star has often been dictated by image and marketability. While Black artists have shaped the sound of pop for decades, many have faced barriers to visibility, recognition, and success. Mia Thornton uncovers how Pop has both embraced and excluded Black artists, and what it takes to truly belong in the UK’s biggest music scene. Broadcaster Clara Amfo discusses stereotypes, colourism and what is considered ‘desirable’ within the Pop’s power structures and rising star Hannah-Morgan on her hopes of breaking the mould. From Winifred Atwell, the Trinidadian pianist who in 1954, became the first Black person to have a UK No.1, to Craig David becoming the face of UK garage-infused Pop in the 2000s, Mia discovers how the industry has both celebrated and ignored Black talent.