Ms Dynamite

I was a bit disappointed by the American debut of Ms Dynamite on Saturday Night Live last night. I like her music; it creatively mixes UK 2-step/garage (I am not entirely clear on the British subgenres) and US R&B; and the lyrics are sharp, and pointedly both personal and political (or, as a UK radio DJ says on my mp3 rip of one track, “wicked tune, wicked lyrics, very conscious”). Ms. Dynamite has been a big hit in the UK, and now they are trying to import her here. But in live performance on SNL, her self-presentation was a bit unfortunate. She was so smiley and upbeat, it almost seemed as if she were channelling Mariah Carey (not in terms of vocal style, but in terms of performative affect). The question is: is she that way in the UK as well? Or is this a cynical retooling of her image for the American market?