When Rah Meets Chav: Mock Accents in Contemporary British pop music.

Abstract

In recent years, an array of British pop artists with non-standard accents appeared on the UK music scene. While research has been done on British artists that emulated an American accent, there has been little discussion about British music and the shift in dialects from positive to negative prestige. My research focusses on artificial or mock British dialects in music and their effect on pop culture. This study involves analysis of non-standard features in three songs by different British artists who have used a fake accent. By examing cultural and sociological aspects as language, society and culture, I will create a framework on which I can base my theory.