This is the second time this has happened, an English act that has been hiding in plain sight, successful across the pond, only gets traction here in the U.S. years later. That’s the story of Olivia Dean and now Sienna Spiro.

Now Dean was boosted by opening for Sabrina Carpenter on her “Short n’ Sweet” tour back in 2025. But it wasn’t until “Man I Need” was adopted by TikTok that she triumphed in the U.S., to the point where her tour is one of the hottest of the summer, people complaining they can’t buy tickets. But her first album came out in the U.K. in 2023 and reached a pinnacle of number 4 on the chart. She was nominated for a slew of Brit Awards in the wake of that success, however, it was crickets over here in the U.S.

But the funny thing is anybody who actually heard Dean’s work would know it had mass appeal. The only issue was reaching the public.

As for Sienna Spiro, she had chart action in the U.K., but it wasn’t until the inclusion of “Material Lover” in “The Devil Wears Prada 2” that she gained mindshare over here.

So what have we learned?

A bunch of things:

1. American outposts of international conglomerates are doing a piss-poor job of promoting the work of overseas artists. There are many reasons, but I’d bet the classic one plays a factor…people want to promote their own signings to bask in the glory if they hit, something they won’t get, at least not in spades, if they boost a foreign number.

One can also argue there’s a lack of vision, that both these acts don’t sound exactly like what is in the U.S. Spotify Top 50, so to break them is seen as a heavy lift, which the American labels don’t want to attempt, they’d rather go for the low-hanging fruit.

2. Movies don’t have the mental reach they once did. The hype for “The Devil Wears Prada 2” was inescapable. But did anybody CARE? I saw the first film, it seemed self-contained, no sequel was implied or necessary. But in Hollywood, an old success is always lying in wait to be dredged up and repeated. But whatever I think of the new film, it did gross $216.2 million in the U.S. and Canada, which is approximately 20 million attendees. Now that’s not chump change, but today the public does not buy soundtracks, they pick and play that which gains notoriety.

Let me restate this… “The Devil Wears Prada 2” definitely lifted the included Sienna Spiro track “Material Lover,” but the days of “The Bodyguard” are over, it didn’t make the song an instant, ubiquitous cultural success.

But why did it take a soundtrack inclusion to shine a light on Spiro? Why couldn’t her music stand on its own previously?

But as much of a push, as much of a breakthrough “Material Lover” is. it still hasn’t penetrated the Spotify U.S. Top 50. And with 36,391,982 streams it only has a fraction of the listens of “Die on This Hill,” which has 480,556,851 and “The Visitor,” “You Stole the Show” and “Maybe,” all of which are over 100 million.

3. Do charts reflect success? Now the funny thing is “Die on This Hill” made it all the way to #9 in the U.K. last year, but it also made it to #19 in the U.S! So, the label did make somewhat of an effort, but does #19 mean anything anymore? Are the singles charts out of whack with reality? The Luminate charts use a manipulated number. They’re comprised of streams, digital downloads, physical sales and airplay. They’re a metric for the industry, but in reality? The raw Spotify listening numbers are the ones that tell the truth, that everybody relies on. There’s no weighting, nobody out purchasing physical product to goose the chart number, they’re a reflection of raw demand.

Then again, does #19 mean that anybody really heard it?

One thing is for sure, whatever the chart number, Sienna Spiro was essentially unknown by most Americans until very recently.

But the funny little thing is you only have to LISTEN to Sienna Spiro, just like Olivia Dean, to get it. This music is the opposite of most of the drivel purveyed today. These two acts are steeped in traditional R&B, not a far cry from the music of the sixties and seventies, the perennials that are still played today. This isn’t novelty music based on one chord. There is no 808 on “Material Lover,” a sound which has even infiltrated the country world.

The bottom line is Spiro could be a gigantic act if most Americans heard her, were exposed to her (the movie helped, but that’s far from everybody in the country).

So, our avenues of exploitation are broken. How can an act as good as this not be an instant smash, she would have been in the pre-internet era.

The youth-focused music business has excluded much of the country, playing to an ever-dwindling slice of the market. Believing only youngsters are interested in new music. But the dirty little secret is the industry has burned out the public by hyping niche stuff that many find unappealing. And there’s so much in the pipeline that it’s overwhelming for most people, they just listen to their old favorites, they’ve given up on new music. But if they heard “Material Lover”…

That’s the challenge, how does the industry get people to listen to Sienna Spiro?

If this were the seventies, Spiro would be embraced by rock fans who did not need singles success to validate their listening choices. She’d be seen as a credible artist. You know, one who has something to say beyond the single, who is just not cookie-cutter, following trends.

“Material Lover” sounds good, it’s upbeat and soothing, and you can dance to it. What more can you want?

How do we connect the dots between the song/act and the audience? That’s the challenge. But the truth is “Material Lover” has more mass appeal than the movie it was part of. This is music’s power, the ability to reach all and affect the national consciousness.

How could Sieanna Spiro be hiding in plain sight and go unrecognized until now and still by so few?

That is the question.

“Material Lover”:

The Roastmaster General released the best comedy special of the year, “Take a Banana for the Ride.” In this wide ranging conversation we cover the creation of the special as well as the story of Jeff’s comedy career, starting in standup, breaking into roasts and ultimately roping in Tom Brady!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jeff-ross/id1316200737?i=1000772170544

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/d931f8ea-aff8-4d9c-9d1e-c10c6cd7ffc0/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-jeff-ross

I was laughing uproariously watching this last night. (Is that the proper use of the word? I’m gonna leave it in, you’ll tell me.)

We were up to the final episode of “Berlin and the Lady With an  Ermine,” but it was an hour and twenty one minutes long and that would be past Felice’s bedtime so we hopped over to Hulu for “Alice and Steve,” which I’d been reading about, which I wanted to see primarily for the inclusion of Nicola Walker.

Now I was a big “Money Heist” fan, but this second prequel is not as good as the first, and the first wasn’t even in the league of the original series. Is it the absence of the Professor? Or Lisbon, who switches sides from police to robber? I’m not sure. But it’s slower, much slower.

And the funny thing is I read no press about it. Which is unusual, especially for a hit show. I just saw it on the Netflix homepage, however they trick you, they say there’s a new season of one of your favorite shows, like “Bonus Family,” and you get all excited and fire it up and find out you’ve already seen it.

If you’re a diehard “Money Heist” fan, watch “Berlin and the Lady With an Ermine,” otherwise I’d skip it.

But I HIGLY recommend “Alice and Steve,” even though I’ve only seen two episodes.

I know, I know, I should wait until I watch all six, but by then you will have heard about it elsewhere, and I will lose my first recommender advantage, and I wouldn’t want to do that.

So Nicola Walker… Where do we start?

Well, I’d begin with her star turn in “The Split,” about divorce and divorce attorneys. Right now it’s on Hulu and Disney+, you always have to check with these foreign shows, they move around (JustWatch.com is your friend).

And from there I’d go to “Collateral” and then “River” and if you’re already a fan you may have personal favorites I have not mentioned here, Walker is far from an unknown, but the interesting thing about her role in “Alice and Steve,” at least in the beginning, is SHE PLAYS AGAINST TYPE!

Most of Nicola Walker’s roles are serious, often with a hint of darkness. But in the beginning of “Alice and Steve” she’s positively FRIVOLOUS! It’s a revelation, the range she’s demonstrating, and unlike with our American hero, Meryl Streep, she doesn’t eclipse the role, she fades/blends right into it.

As for Steve… Felice immediately recognized him from “Flight of the Conchords.” I must say I’ve never seen that. But Jemaine Clement as Steve radiates the vibe of a less outrageous Austin Powers. He walks between the verge of drama and comedy, you’re not quite sure whether you’re going to wince or laugh and he might be sliding into a New Zealand accent here and there, but my radar on accents is not that good, you’ll decide.

As for the main plot line…

It’s been everywhere but I’m not going to lay it out here. Felice went in raw and her experience was different from mine, so I believe you’re best going in fresh, but even if you know the set-up, it doesn’t detract from your enjoyment.

Now the thing about comedy is it’s hard to do.

And I don’t know, with so many offerings I find recently it’s been hard for me to stick with a show, to be entranced right away so I continue watching. I don’t want my viewing to be a chore, just the opposite, I want it to be THE PEAK OF MY LIFE!

Now “Alice and Steve” gets funny in the first episode, but it reaches its peak in the second.

Marcia Warren as Val, Nicola Walker’s mother… She’s a fount of wisdom and in many ways laissez-faire and more hip than Alice. That’s the thing about oldsters, some become set in their ways and others go in the opposite direction, they’ve seen the movie, been to the circus, and it has liberated them to be in the moment and speak their truth. And when Val nods off while the shenanigans are ensuing…I laugh just thinking about it, it’s these little touches that put a show over the top. (And speaking of touches, when I saw Alice drinking Coke for breakfast I was thrilled, because I do. But when I saw a Coke pointing face-out when the fridge was opened, I realized it was probably a paid placement. Why, how much cash could this generate?)

So it’s the clash between generations that really got me going, both knowledge and mores.

You’ve got Rome, who knows all the answers, even though she’s only a teenager, showing up everybody else in the room. You’ve been there.

But then there’s the issue of cancellation. Steve drops a reference to a cultural hero who is now a pariah and the kids pooh-pooh and then excoriate him. And to watch him squirm is exquisite, Steve doesn’t realize he can’t possibly say the right thing. First he tries to argue his position, saying there was not absolute proof, but there’s proof enough for the younger generation!

Now “Alice and Steve,” unlike “Berlin and the Lady With an Ermine,” has gotten a good amount of press. If you pay attention to these things, and I do, because I’m always ferreting out what to watch next, you’re aware of it.

Now if “Alice and Steve” were on Netflix, it would have the impact of “The Four Seasons,” but it’s on Hulu (it’s also on Disney+, the two are supposed to merge, it’s so confusing…), which doesn’t have the same cachet, never mind an equal number of subscribers.

Will I tell you to sign up for one of these two services just to watch “Alice and Steve”?

Well, before you do that, you should get Paramount+ to watch “The Bureau,” which in terms of sheer quality is a solid A on an absolute scale (not the one employed at Harvard, where everybody gets an A). I saw it on a different service, I’ve never even watched Paramount+, although I do think we get a free ad-supported version with cable. However ,”The Bureau” is drama.

But if you already have Hulu or Disney+, check out “Alice and Steve,” it’s six half hour episodes. If this was an American show it would be the talk of the town. Then again, Americans can’t do this kind of show, either it’s too broad or stars famous people who trump the plot or…

I’m looking forward to more laughing tonight!

What does “Reader’s Digest” say, laughter is the best medicine?

But will it work?

Apple presentations are not the must see TV they were in the Steve Jobs era, if for no other reason than the lack of…one more thing…

But those presentations were live, ever since Covid, Apple prerecords, which eliminates mistakes, but sucks the life out of the presentation. It’s kind of like music. You can fix it in the studio, but in the process do you eliminate all the energy, everything that makes it appealing? People are imperfect, and that’s how they like their art, that allows them to relate, whereas they expect their products to work out of the box, seamlessly.

Unlike the original Siri that was launched with the iPhone 4s, back in 2011. It was a novelty, if you’re still using it, you’re one of the few.

Now the buzzword today is AI, i.e. artificial intelligence, and conventional wisdom is Apple is behind the 8-ball, that it missed the window. But historically Apple doesn’t create totally new products, it refines what’s out there in a way that engenders mass appeal via usability, never mind filling a desired function.

So, owning the AI platform, is that where the money lies, or..?

We can debate all day long whether these AI platforms can make money in the short term, or whether their burn rate will cause them to go out of business or be sold to another company. Then again, there are enterprises like Meta, which is doing quite well despite the billions lost on virtual reality. In other words, if Meta’s AI dreams don’t pan out, the company can survive. But AI-only companies like Open AI and Anthropic? It’s unclear.

Never mind the AI backlash. It’s NIMBYISM on steroids. No one wants a data farm in their neighborhood, never mind the incredible electricity drain. Ireland just passed a law that new AI data centers must provide their own electricity, after the existing farms ate up one third of the nation’s power.

And then there’s the end of the world scenario. The University of Toronto just revealed the possibility of the easy creation of AI worms, that could penetrate existing systems… Maybe these same AI agents can get rid of spam e-mail while they’re at it, which has clogged our inboxes for thirty years now.

And for these thirty years when the mainstream public has been computing, conversing on the internet, the primary means of communication has been text. To the point where if you call someone from the younger generation…they probably won’t pick up and they won’t even let you leave a message, and if you’re allowed to do so, they won’t check it.

This burgeoning use of text has been overlooked by those who lament the past focus on reading and books. But just like the younger generations now know more news as a result of the internet, they’re writing and reading more too.

But will this survive?

YouTube now eclipses Netflix usage. In other words, the lunatics have taken over the asylum, individual content creation rules. But what I want to focus on here is the power of the moving image. For all the talk of Substack monetization, that’s for Luddites, the real money for creators is on YouTube.

And this creeping emphasis on video has changed the podcast landscape. Now it’s about blockbusters with a concurrent video stream, which costs more money to do well. In other words, it’s just like in music, everybody can make a video podcast, but very few can make money doing so, there are very few winners.

So as video eats text, will AI come along to supersede the conventional computing platforms, from the smartphone to the tablet to the computer?

That’s the concept behind AI. Can you just talk to your device to get answers, to get your work done. According to today’s WWDC presentation, Apple says you can.

Now if everything Apple promises is delivered, the company will have triumphed. Because it’s Apple that has the relationship with the ultimate customer. Google may dominate search, but it pays billions to be the preferred engine on the iPhone. (Once again, distribution is everything.) Will AI companies have to pay to play on Apple devices? Right now with all the mania on the AI development companies, this is not the case, but in the future?

That’s the history of the personal computer, what once was a standalone product with its own revenue stream becomes a feature. Once spellcheck was a separate app, today it’s built into your word processor, has been for a very long time. The consolidators triumph.

So the key here is usability. Is Apple’s new Siri going to drive usage?

We live in a very different world today. There are no instruction manuals, no lessons, you just dive in and figure it out. This is how people interact with video games. But if the lift is too heavy, the product fails.

So not only does Siri AI have to work, it has to be easy to use.

But if it does work and it is as easy to use as demonstrated in today’s presentation we are at the beginning of a giant revolution.

After AOL got everybody on the internet, the next triumphs were hardware-based, the iPod, the iPhone… Everybody keeps looking for new hardware, like the inane AI pin devices, as if we’re going to go back to individual items when a product that consolidates all these uses, like the smartphone, triumphs.

And then there are smart glasses. They have been percolating for years, but adoption has still been minimal. But if Apple gets into the field as rumored…

But is the future just talking to your device?

That is what Apple previewed today.

Screw all those apps, all that cross-referencing, all that selection, AI will do it for you. Choose what photos to send to your friends. Plan events and alert invitees. Sure, all your data has to be on the device to begin with to collate, but that data can now be sourced from your questions and actions.

And then there’s the data from Google’s Gemini.

Despite all the complaints about AI search results, the bottom line is most people don’t go beyond them. Remember all those search optimization efforts? Doesn’t seem to matter where you appear in the results, because no one looks, they just trust the AI result, despite the present hallucination rate.

Siri AI will eliminate steps. It will get the information for you sans typing, sans going from app to app and exploring. And you will save time.

Assuming it works.