During the red carpet for the 2022 BRIT Awards, it was revealed that Ed Sheeran would be opening the show with ‘Bad Habits,’ the hit single from his album Equals (=). This announcement was unsurprising, as beginning the biggest UK music event of the year with the country’s biggest star performing one of his hit songs is a safe, but wise decision. What followed, however, exceeded any expectations. Sheeran was joined on stage by metal band Bring Me The Horizon to play a rock version of the song. ‘Bad Habits’ surprisingly suited a heavier sound, especially in the style of Bring Me The Horizon, who are known for their ingenuity within the genre, and frequently incorporate electronic sounds to great effect. Even more boldly, the performance took this concept to its extremes when it would have been easy to dial it down. It went as far as to feature screaming and growling from front man Oliver Sykes.

The somewhat divisive performance [showed] the evolution and mainstream suitability of one of music’s most isolated genres

The somewhat divisive performance not only shows the versatility of Ed Sheeran’s songs, but also the evolution and mainstream suitability of one of music’s most isolated genres. For Sheeran, to put together the performance, and the BRITs to agree to include this rendition of ‘Bad Habits’ shows their belief in its success as well as their open mindedness, which seems to be shared by many of the viewers. There is not much history of performances like this at the BRIT Awards, so its inclusion now shows the strong position rock and metal music is currently in.

Whilst much of the focus was on Sheeran, Bring Me The Horizon themselves are a massive act with considerable popularity amongst a wide variety of people, and are sometimes credited with much of the modern progression and success of their genre. The band are set to headline Reading and Leeds festival in August. This is clearly indicative of their stature and will no doubt have a massive effect on their popularity and heavy music generally. Also headlining the festival are recently reformed Rage Against The Machine, and UK fan favourites The Arctic Monkeys. Many have called this a return to the festival’s roots after several years where rap, and in some ways pop and dance music, has played an almost equal part to rock and alternative.

The BRITs themselves were a success for rock music with many of the nation’s biggest acts being featured in the best rock/alternative category. The award was won by Sam Fender, his honest and timeless guitar based indie tracks have put him on his way to being a huge star in the industry. In the wake of their highly acclaimed album Blue Weekend, Wolf Alice’s triumph over Little Mix and Coldplay for the best group award is a further indication of the high regard that British rock music is held in.

What seems to be clear is that the importance of genre is gradually being reduced

However, this is not just a recent phenomenon. Over the last ten years many British rock groups have seen great success including Royal Blood, Foals, and Catfish and the Bottlemen. This includes more long-standing bands like Kasabian, Biffy Clyro, and Muse who have continued to top the charts. Liam Gallagher also sets off on a UK stadium tour later in the year, including two shows at Knebworth Park, to belt out a mixture of his solo work and some Oasis classics while a long-awaited reunion with his brother is still in heavy demand. 

What seems to be clear is that the importance of genre is gradually being reduced. Many bands and solo acts take inspiration from a variety of musicians and release songs that can be put in multiple boxes. The label of rock music specifically has come to include a variety of things, ranging from more indie music to heavy metal, and also has a notable influence on hip hop. As can be said for all genres, rock music is becoming harder to find in its purest form, however its influence on British music as a whole is as significant as anything else today.

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