How did Rudimental get so big?

[encounter]

I have a lot of respect for Rudimental, most of their music isn't to my taste but they managed to get this track to number 2 in the UK charts:

For me, that's a massive look for the dnb scene.

1. Everything with Ed Sheeran in the title gets into the charts
2. How's that a "massive look for the dnb scene"?

on topic. it's very clear that stuff that gets into the charts need a big management, investement and needs to be some kind of formulaic in terms of, key, hook, simple vocals... the beat per se doesn't really matter anymore. I would never reference that with the D&B I know tho.

 

[Amenbreaker]

1. Everything with Ed Sheeran in the title gets into the charts
2. How's that a "massive look for the dnb scene"?

on topic. it's very clear that stuff that gets into the charts need a big management, investement and needs to be some kind of formulaic in terms of, key, hook, simple vocals... the beat per se doesn't really matter anymore. I would never reference that with the D&B I know tho.

My point was the drums and sounds in this are pretty interesting imo, I mean if you compare this track to most commercial dnb it doesn't have that generic 2-step beat and even though you've got Ed Sheeran vocals, the tune isn't that cheesy. Even if you don't compare this with the commercial stuff, I mean okay, this isn't exactly Break or Nucleus and Paradox but imo an instrumental of this would hold up as a decent dnb track in its own right. Or maybe I just have really low expectations of chart dnb at this point, who knows.

 

[smoothassilk]

I actually have a lot of respect for that tune. It's managed to get dnb elements into an ed sheeran song and ed sheeran elements into a dnb song and still retained most of the important aspects of both.
There are lots of vocal tunes that compromise on the dnb, and lots of dnb tunes that compromise on the vocals, but this has the most of both genres of any song I've heard.

 

[encounter]

My point was the drums and sounds in this are pretty interesting imo, I mean if you compare this track to most commercial dnb it doesn't have that generic 2-step beat and even though you've got Ed Sheeran vocals, the tune isn't that cheesy. Even if you don't compare this with the commercial stuff, I mean okay, this isn't exactly Break or Nucleus and Paradox but imo an instrumental of this would hold up as a decent dnb track in its own right. Or maybe I just have really low expectations of chart dnb at this point, who knows.

But that doesn't explain my question or does it? How's that a "massive look for the dnb scene"? I doubt anyone listening to this will figure - shit what's that drums that come in 3 times in this track for 20 seconds, find out it's d&b and will come into our scene and consume d&b from that point onwards? Or do you mean something else?
As well this track is written for a commercial perspective to fit into field where radio listeners will enjoy something like that. This ain't something for the headz or dancefloor.