Sombr Says England Has Produced More Iconic Musicians Than the United States

Sombr (Instagram @sombr)

JAKARTA - American pop singer Sombr made a surprising statement while attending the 2026 BRIT Awards held at Co-op Live, Manchester, England, last weekend.

In the midst of the red carpet, he expressed his admiration for the long history of British music which has become the foundation in his creative process of making music so far.

Although he was born and raised in the Uncle Sam's country, the musician with the real name Shane Sommers openly said that the quality of music from Great Britain far exceeded the standards of the music industry in his own country.

"I just love this place. In my opinion, I love America, but I think the stage acts and musicians from England beat them in terms of giving birth to iconic figures," Sombr said in an interview with NME.

Sombr explained that England has become a second home for his soul because of the great influence of music legends such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Elton John.

Not only that, he also admitted that he was very inspired by local talents from Manchester such as Oasis, The Stone Roses, and The Verve.

The influence of the band's musical style is often what makes the public misunderstand and think Sombr is a music group, not a soloist.

"I've had that a lot (thought to be a band). I think it's because some of the music I've made feels like music made by a band, when it's just me," he said. "Maybe because I'm so inspired by so many British bands."

Sombr's presence at the 2026 Brit Awards is not just as an invited guest. The 20-year-old musician is nominated in two categories, International Artist and International Song.

He also stole the public's attention through his stage performance of "Undressed" and "Back To Friends".

An incident that was initially thought to be a security breach occurred when someone stormed the stage and pushed it to the ground. However, management later confirmed that it was a previously planned action to spark conversation on social media.

Even though he returned empty-handed after the International Artist category was won by Rosalía and the International Song fell to Rosé and Bruno Mars' collaboration through "APT.", Sombr admitted that he was not disappointed.

For him, being accepted by the British public through his debut album "I Barely Know Her" is an incredible achievement. He is also preparing to perform on the big stage at the upcoming Coachella 2026.