We know that Adele and Elton John, Ed Sheeran and the Spice Girls, as well as Harry Styles, have turned down the invitations to perform at King Charles’ coronation concert. This is part of the three-day Chubbly holiday. Sheeran has performed at several royal or royal-adjacent events, including the Platinum Jubbly last year. It seems like Charles is the only one who can see the beauty in the situation. Rolling Stone asks: "Why don't big stars want to perform at Charles' Coronation?"

No more cheekiness: "The Nineties in British pop culture were so different." It was New Labour. Everyone was playful and being slightly cheeky," says Michael Cragg (author of Reach For The Stars), a book about British pop music from the Nineties and the '00s. Cragg states that "that cheekiness absolutely doesn't exist anymore." We want to find out who people are, and what version of the Royal Family we have learned about recently via Prince Harry's book. It is impossible to be the most successful band in the world and still kiss them.

Artists are concerned about the backlash: "The royal family is facing a series of PR disasters in recent years, and anyone performing at this show would have to think whether there would be any backlash from appearing amongst them," Simon Jones, PR to Little Mix and Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.

For many artists, it's easy. Kingsley Hall, of Benefits, explained that the British cultural climate is not as complicated as it seems. The 2022 anti-monarchy song "Flag" reached number one on the Official UK Vinyl. He said, "We have had so much exposure, negative exposure of Royal family - jubilees and weddings, falls out, accusations of racism. Notable deaths. Someone being accused of sexual predator - all in what I would consider a very short time. People are tired of it and won't participate for that reason.

Royalism is a bad idea. Meg, the head of a prominent British music PR firm, says Styles and Adele are both at a point in their careers when they have to redefine themselves beyond a decade of success in music. Meg, whose full name was withheld, says that storytelling is very important for Styles and Adele right now. These big symbolic associations have a lot of weight. They literally go down in history books as bolded and underlined. It's understandable why artists would be in a lot of PR debate about whether they do it.

Charles is not the nation's grandfather. Meg says, "I don’t know what artists have to gain by associating himself with him." "With the Queen she was fab, and glamorous to some people. Charles does not add anything. There is no legacy of Charles that anyone would like to be associated with. The broadcast is televised so many people will hear your songs. However, in terms of long-term PR strategy, I don’t know if performing would positively impact an artist’s narrative unless they are staunchly pro monarchy.

The UK's cost of living crisis: Ellie (whose real/full identity has been withheld at request), founder and CEO of a British pop-music PR company says that "if you strip back the gold and the red cloak, you will find a country in which parents have to choose between feeding their children or keeping them warm." What is the cost of the coronation to the taxpayer? It's a political statement.

Adele is not for the royals, but the working class: Grace Martha, a superfan of Adele from London, notes that Adele is proud to be a champion of being part of the working class in Tottenham, one the most ethnically diverse parts of Britain. Martha says that the pomp and expense of this coronation doesn't reflect her values. Martha says that this issue is very specific to American culture. Americans may think, "Oh, she's from London, a cockney. Why wouldn't she do that?" But they don’t know the nuances of different cultures and identities. She is for the "everyday person" and the average Londoner younger than the royals.

British colonialism is front and center: This is why A-List British musicians are struggling to get A-List status. Hak Baker, a London musician, said: "Any situation in which I would bow to an openly racist colonial empire system that refuses apologise to its past and erases my people's historical history, I'd rather avoid with barge poles." The past is more well-known now. They deserve recognition. They will have a difficult time," Han Mee, from Manchester's Hot Milk, says emphatically. She calls it an "outdated institution" which does not reflect modern Britain. She says, "Leave this in the past. It's as old and aged as the whiskey that props up it, but without the strength or merriment." "I liked Liz but it should have died with me - the coronation in this country is a kick in my teeth when this country has never had more of a s--- show."

[From Rolling Stone]

The last point of the article is that King Charles and the royal institution are clout chasing these artists. This means that Ed Sheeran needs the Windsors more than he does. It is true that it does not hurt Adele's or Elton Johns careers to turn down the Chubbly concert. They might have seen a boost in sales (the concert will be broadcast on televised), but what does that mean for their careers long-term? It is interesting to me that the Chubbly organizers chose artists who are worldwide stars and not just those popular in Britain. Elton, Adele, Ed, and Elton all tour the world. They also see how other countries work, and sometimes even live in other countries. This gives them a different perspective about the royal sh-tshows and the politics of monarchy. Charles will probably have to hire Kate for a Chubbly recital of the piano.

Photos courtesy Avalon Red and Backgird.