As much as global business and politics seem to be dictated by English speaking nations, English also holds dominance over globally exported music. In terms of marketed music, there is no doubt that English speaking artists hold sway.
So despite the plethora of homegrown talent across the rest of the world, the advent of social media and extensive world travel, why does English still take precedence?
Similarly to the world of business and politics, the major music industry is historically entrenched in the western world. Most of the world's recorded music is controlled by corporations established in Britain or America. The 'big three' — Universal, Sony BMG and Warner — made music their business long before labels in other territories, and control up to 80 per cent of today's market.
This isn't to say non-English speaking artists have zero success. Almost all territories have their own popular artists, writing and performing in their native languages. However, many of these musicians seem unable to break into the wider market, outside of their own countries.
Non-English songs that impact mainstream charts in western markets are usually either dance tracks, or novelty songs — or both. 'The Macarena' (1993) and O Zone's 'Dragostea Din Tei' (2004) were club hits in the UK, and of course the more recently 'Gangnam Style', by South Korean artist Psy, was a global phenomenon.
Exposure is what it all comes down to; radio play, charts and the subtle yet insistent pushing of what we should be listening to. The majority of listeners are willingly reliant on media sources to dictate to them. In 2014, it was estimated that four million songs on Spotify alone had never been listened to. Streaming services account for a major proportion of music consumption today, with readymade playlists slowly surpassing radio.
Playlists are major marketing tools today, and for many listeners these are their primary sources for new music. But even these are monopolised by those major record labels. Earlier this year it was confirmed that 'pay for play' is a real factor in the curation of the most popular playlists. Smaller corporations and artists are priced out of the market, losing out on that global audience.
Indigenous languages, too, are often shunned in majority English speaking Western countries, although perhaps this is changing. The music industry in Australia is increasingly embracing Indigenous artists, notably through festivals like Boomerang. Sydney band Dispossessed meanwhile performs in both English and in language,