text: Damon Albarn said modern pop stars are part of a 'selfie generation' that just sings about platitudes . He was once the driving force behind Britpop in the 1990s and became known for his very public spat with Oasis' Gallagher brothers. And now Blur frontman Damon Albarn, who lives in Kensington and Chelsea in London, has returned to pick a fight with even more people in the music industry. Albarn has criticised today's pop stars for 'talking platitudes' and singing only about themselves, at a time when, he believes, they could be using their music to make political statements in the run up to the general election. The 47-year-old dubbed modern pop artists as existing in a 'selfie generation' of stars who use their music to reveal only how they feel. 'Modern day musicians are talking platitudes now and it's not interesting to me,' Albarn told the Sunday Times' Culture magazine. His comments are timely as Blur releases its first album in years this month. Albarn's criticisms are also likely to resonate with people who have been scornful about the work of modern day pop stars such as Taylor Swift and Sam Smith who are known for using their singles to express their emotions about failed relationships. 'What are any of them saying?' added Albarn, now a father-of-one. 'I don't hear them saying anything other than "This is me and this is how I feel," which is an important part of songwriting, but we're talking in the context of an election.' Blur shot to success with Parklife in 1995 - widely seen as a commentary about growing up in the 1990s and the ordinary people that many forgot about. They became one of the best known bands in pop, fuelled by a very public row with rivals Oasis. But by 2002 Graham Coxon - best friend of Albarn - was asked to leave the band and they all began to do their own projects. In 2009 they reunited to play Hyde Park and again in 2012. Sam Smith,recently credited the man who broke his heart for inspiring his award winning album . Taylor Swift is known for using her music to criticise her ex-boyfriends and reveal her struggles in love . Albarn said he would like to see popstars talking about what is going on around them and using their music to comment on modern society and politics. He is characteristically forthright about his own political stance. The Blur frontman longs to see a Labour and Green party government, and dismisses an incident in the 1990s when Tony Blair tried to recruit him as an incident when he was young and new to politics, and still did not know his own political mind. He would also like to see Trident significantly reduced. Alex James (left), Dave Rowntree (centre, top), guitarist Graham Coxon (right) and Damon Albarn (centre front) were one of the best known boybands in the 1990s and have reunited to produced a new album . Blur release their new album The Magic Whip later this month. It is the first time since the 1999 album, entitled 13, that Graham Coxon will feature fully on the album. Magic Whip was created in two sections - the first after they reunited to play in Hyde Park in 2009 and went on a world tour - finding time in Hong Kong to come up with some new material. Coxon worked on the songs and they returned to Hong Kong again to complete the album.
target: Damon Albarn said modern day popstars are just singing 'platitudes'
  He called for performers to use music to comment about current issues .
  Albarn spoke as Blur prepared to release first full length album in 10 years .
  Comments likely to be picked up by people critical of modern day stars such as Taylor Swift and Sam Smith, known for music about relationships .