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Arts·Commotion

Where are the Canadians on Best of 2023 lists?

Veteran music journalist and author Michael Barclay offers some theories as to why Canadians may have lost their lustre on the international stage.

Michael Barclay gives theories as to why Canadians may have fallen off of the international stage

CBC Arts ·
Composite photo of Jordan Miller and guitarist Kylie Miller of The Beaches.
Lead singer Jordan Miller and guitarist Kylie Miller of The Beaches. The Beaches had a lot of commercial success in 2023 but were left off of many year-end lists, according to Michael Barclay. (Vivian Rashotte/CBC)

For the past two decades, Canadian musicians – like indie sensation Feist and rap mega-star Drake –  have been at the centre of the global music conversation and made regular appearances on critics' year-end lists around the world. 

However, a look at Best-of-2023 lists from several top publications reveals a surprising lack of Canadian representation.

Veteran music journalist and author Michael Barclay joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to offer some theories as to why Canadian music may have fallen off of the international stage. 

I feel like in general, Canadians are not part of those critical discussions anymore. Again, not to say that Canadians are not commercially successful. They are.

 

LISTEN | Today's episode on YouTube:

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Michael Barclay produced by Stuart Berman.

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