Stormzy’s most personal album yet
Stormzy is the face of the U.K. rap scene. The MC is the king of grime and has performed at multiple big-name festivals like Glastonbury and Wireless. He’s known for his boisterous and cutthroat lyrics, so his latest project, “This Is What I Mean,” is a completely different spin on the 29-year-old’s usual sound.
It’s the project that Stormzy has always wanted to release. The Croydon, London rapper has always sprinkled more of a mellow and thoughtful feel to some of his tracks in his previous projects, but for this album, he really lets it run loose; his stylistic focus is evident from the first lead single.
Stormzy released “Hide & Seek” back in October, and it was completely different from his previous lead singles — “Vossi Bop” on “Heavy Is The Head” and “Big For Your Boots” on “Gang Signs & Prayer.” Both of these songs featured very aggressive tones and beats, following the typical formula that Stormzy has set for his songs, especially those that made him mainstream.
But “Hide & Seek” is more mellow compared to the aforementioned tracks, with an afrobeat feel to it. The song sounds similar to a track that Nigerian singer Tems might make, which isn’t too surprising considering her involvement in the writing of the track. The vocals from Oxlade, Äyanna and Teni provide a soft feel for the track that defines Stormzy’s trajectory for the album.
The majority of this project is what Stormzy previously dabbled with in his old albums. His hardman persona is out the window, with a more gospel feel being brought out in its place. He’s put these kinds of tracks on his previous projects, with “Velvet/Jenny Francis” and “Do Better.” He lets his desire to sing on tracks run riot throughout the project, allowing himself to open up. He makes himself vulnerable, singing about how he’s changed as a person and matured through previous relationships.
The first track on “This Is What I Mean” sets the tone for the entire project. “Fire + Water” is heavily gospel-inspired, with the MC having more of a spoken word performance for the track. The eight-minute track is very confessional, with Stormzy talking and singing about his ex and Jacob Collier hopping on the latter end of the track to seal out the emotional letter.
The titular track, which is second on the tracklist, is more of what people are used to hearing from Stormzy. He goes back to his boastful rapping style, dropping lines like, “I manifest the shit and then it happened. Said that I’ma do it, then it happens,” and “Mind your business ‘fore you mind my bread.” He also name-drops a whole load of celebrities in his bars throughout the song, ranging from Daniel Kaluuya to Harry Styles and fellow grime rapper Giggs.
He then returns to the more mellow vibe that is consistent throughout the project. There’s no heavy bass or beats on the track, unlike on previous albums.
A highlight track on the album is “Sampha’s Plea,” where Stormzy brings Sampha on the track to do what he does best. He delivers a soulful performance about what appears to be wanting to make a relationship last rather than acting on hasty decisions. Sampha’s vocals are strong as always, proving once again why having him as a feature for a project is so coveted.
The last track of the album, “Give It To The Water,” signs off with a piano played in the background, alongside vocals with Debbie Ehirim singing about the struggles of life and just letting God help guide her through her bouts. Stormzy joins her towards the end as the two simultaneously harmonize, signing off the album with a religious feeling to it, something that Stormzy has always tried to implement in his project. It rounds off the project well, ultimately showcasing something that Stormzy is proud of and a project that he’s always wanted to release.
Overall, Stormzy’s outpour of emotions makes this a great project and beautiful experimentation by the London artist. It doesn’t matter if the project does well commercially; it’s evident that this is Stormzy’s album, not one that he feels needs to be catered to the public. There are no callouts towards other grime rappers and there are no features with popular U.K. rappers — it’s simply Stormzy speaking on his life throughout the years. He’s finally caved into making something he’s always wanted to, and while he isn’t the best singer out there, his message, tone, use of features and instrumentals aid him in creating a solid project that has tracks that will bring listeners back to the project.