ABSTRACT
The 2005 Brit Awards were the usual combination of drunk, daft pop singers, pseudo-goth guitarists and drummers who spent much of the night in the toilet. But there were some piquant differences. Of the 17 awards given, 11 went to bands and performers for debut albums. Through all the talk of iPod insularity and retro redundancy, music is changing. It is renewing. We are – after a decade of disappointment – hearing new and challenging popular music.
