sat 07/12/2024

Album: Stormzy - This Is What I Mean | reviews, news & interviews

Album: Stormzy - This Is What I Mean

Album: Stormzy - This Is What I Mean

Heartbreak and hope: the rapper, singer songwriter bares his soul on his third album

"The most public open letter in recent memory"

“All of this music, it’s nothing to do with the listener,” Stormzy announced to Louis Theroux in a recent TV interview. “All I can do is feel what I feel and document that, and whatever that is, that’s what it’s going to be.”

The 29-year-old rapper singer and songwriter, also known as Michael Omari, was talking about This Is What I Mean, his third album and, by some distance, the biggest departure, both musically and lyrically, since his incredible rise from the UK’s underground grime scene to stadium-filling stardom.

The conversation comes after listening to a, then unfinished, version of “Fire + Water”, the opening track on the new collection. Alongside the wide-open chords and a low-key jazz cloak, the overwhelming sense is one of simplicity. It’s not the first time we’ve heard Stormzy sing, of course, but it’s probably the first time it’s felt quite so central a concern. Understated and delicate, he places the notes with careful consideration. There are no runs, no trills, no acrobatics, just a man playing to his strengths and the emotional core of the song. 

Of course, given the extent to which Stormzy’s private life is seemingly public domain, the object of such heartbreak balladry is always going to be a talking point. In fairness, the rapper isn’t being coy – his heart is on his sleeve here in more ways than one. The album cover shows a handwritten envelope on a doorstep, the most public open letter in recent memory.

“Bad Blood” continues the break-up theme, with washes of synth and measured percussion carrying the whole. However sad, Stormzy’s conclusion is that love trumps loss every time, “But when you love that much it’s never love lost,” he reasons.

And that positivity carries throughout. Musically, “I Got My Smile Back” feels like a distant cousin of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature”. Lush backing vocals recline on a bed of bass, while the lyrics speak to moving on, moving up and leaving the past in the past: “Me and suicidal thoughts, we haven't spoke for years,” Stormzy tells us in a confession that's both uncomfortable and reassuring.

Like his vocal delivery, the key to these songs’ success lies in their execution. Album closer “Give It to the Water”, sees Stormzy hand over the reins to 22-year-old singer Debbie Ehirim, whose beautifully phrased, economical delivery is perfectly suited to elevate the song from premier-league pop to something distinctly spiritual.

Similarly, R&B vocalist Tendai’s appearance on the jazzy, afro-beat influenced “Need You”, amplifies the track’s many strengths – smooth, subtle, soulful, beautiful... Which rather brings us back to where we started. 

“The mission for this album was so clear,” continues Stormzy, ensconced in his studio. “Let’s just make the most beautiful… an album that just makes you feel… we gotta just hit them in the heartstrings.”

Mission accomplished.

@jahshabby

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters