Attitude Music Breakthrough Award: Jess Glynne
By Ben Kelly
It’s unlikely that any winner of an Attitude Music Breakthrough Award will ever break through quite so spectacularly as 25-year-old North Londoner Jess Glynne did in 2015. The voice of last year’s biggest UK smash Rather Be, which she recorded with Clean Bandit, Glynne has personally remained little known until recently. Yet within the space of the last 18 months, she has matched the current record held by Cheryl Fernandez-Versini of the most Number One singles by a British solo female (five) – a remarkable achievement which in contrast, took Cheryl five years to achieve.
And those were five outrageously catchy tracks, totally deserving, and each as memorable as the last: My Love (with Route 94), Hold My Hand, Not Letting Go (with Tinie Tempah) and Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself, in addition to Rather Be.
Glynne’s voice is beautifully clear, and with the storytelling on her number one debut album I Cry When I Laugh, she positions herself as representative of the British youth of today. She is also one of a new generation of LGBT figures who refuse to be labelled when it comes to sexuality. Along with peers like Sam Smith and Olly Alexander of Years & Years, Jess Glynne is a symbol of modern diversity, sailing high in the far reaching world of music.
Read more about Jess and the rest of our winners in the new issue of Attitude, out in shops today and available to download from attitudedigital.co.uk. You can order a print copy from newsstand.co.uk/Attitude.
