Why so many singers sound American – but British grime artists are bucking the trend
This article analyzes the sociolinguistic influences that cause English-speaking singers with non-standard American English accents to adopt more standard American English accents when singing. Authors Rob Drummond and Erin Carrie chalk this phenomenon up to 2 main factors. The first of these factors is the accent-neutralizing effect that singing has upon speech due to how singing affects pronunciation, while the second is a self-fulfilling prophecy regarding what English music "should" be. Singers aren't necessarily trying to sound "more American", rather they are trying to adopt what is considered the most common or standard accent used in their genre. Considering the wide-reaching influence of American music (and pop culture in general), the "default accent" for some genres hence takes on an American quality. Despite this subconscious shift, accent neutralization is not a guarantee. Some posit that a singer's maintenance of regional features of their accent while singing can be an act of authenticity, a way of making a statement regarding representation and regional identity in a world where pandering to the mainstream is rewarded. [Published on 02-09-2017]