For those of us growing up in Belgrade in the noughties, the Mercury Prize was a window to the world. Established in 1992. while the Yugoslav war was at its peak just around our corner of Europe, we all looked up at the UK bands for dreams and inspiration. Imagine us: without internet, without digital piracy and very often without electricity, we listened to Oasis, New Order, Tricky, Portishead and PJ Harvey and dreamed of the fairer world – or, at least, a piece of normality.
Twenty years later, Mercury became a multi-medial, taste-making platform and I became a blogging, working mom of two, living in Berlin, the oh so hip city in Germany. It could have turned out much worse for both of us, so I always tune in to see who won that year´s Mercury.
My personal favourite was a young rapping poet, Kate Tempest, but even to a music ignorant like me it became clear that either Young Fathers or FKA twigs will go home with the little red planet in their hands. Eclectic, multinational Young Fathers eventually won, but FKA twigs was no looser: the heart of Robert “Heartbroken” Pattinson is hers! For those of you, not so delighted with the folksy influences of the Young Fathers, no worries – I believe we´ll see much more of Ms. Tahliah Debrett Barnett in the future. With Pattinson, or, maybe better – without!
