Fame costs, and Stormzy’s been paying in insecurity.Such reflective and intimate moments abound, Stormzy himself describing his more Frank Ocean interludes thus: “I ain’t spitting anymore, I rap-glide”. It plays out in the Shakespearean reference in the album’s title, and the His phenomenal success and influence have compounded the pressure on his still-young shoulders—“How the hell did I buss so fast?” he asks on “Audacity.” For Stormzy, the remaining questions are existential: Is he comfortable with his status as a household name and figurehead? It’s the same winning mix of grime bangers and radio friendly singing as last time, but, crucially, it’s better at making sure they work together on the same project. It would be remiss of us to leave out from this review the line, Stormzy came out swinging for his second album – it’s big, it’s broad and it is mostly brilliant.

As always, the health and safety of Stormzy fans is of paramount importance to him. The problems of sustaining momentum, staying creatively relevant and dealing with the pressures of being in the spotlight aren’t easy to deal with. With the current global concern surrounding Covid-19, we are closely monitoring the … But he also reminds us that he is part of something biggerAnd, apparently, what Stormzy wants to do is… everything. The vote was touted as the most important in recent British history, but, honestly, you’d be forgiven for having lost track by now. Stormzy isn’t aiming to be the biggest name in grime, or UK rap, or indeed even be one of the biggest UK artists; ‘Heavy Is The Head; is him trying to go for He nearly pulls it off, recruiting nine different writer-producers to help him craft this 16-track album, which was also recorded in 16 different studios. Besides, this timing wasn’t planned: The election was called just a matter of weeks ago. Most uplifting of all is “Superheroes”, Stormzy’s tribute to the next generation of grime’s “young black kings” – “all I see is innovators” he declares. As he ascends from grime rapper to generational spokesperson, the charismatic UK star tries to figure out where to go next. Join us on the ad-free creative social network Vero, as we get under the skin of global cultural happenings.Follow Clash Magazine as we skip merrily between clubs, concerts, interviews and photo shoots.

Stormzy’s second album hit streaming services in the UK just a couple of hours after polls closed in the country’s latest general election. Penultimate song ‘Lessons’, sees Stormzy open up about his break-up with ex Maya Jama. Of course he has every right to address his personal torment in his art, but in this case he appears to ignore the fact that the person who ended the relationship—and did so as privately as possible—might not want the break-up to play out on an album track that’ll be listened to and combed over by potentially millions of people. However, lines like “Thought I’d say it here than rather fling it in a text” perhaps reveal his misunderstanding of the power dynamics at play. All the time. Known as #Merky Books, his imprint is publishing two to three books a year, starting with Stormzy's autobiography Rise Up. Thousands of people at Glastonbury were broadcast shouting “Fuck the government and fuck Boris [Johnson, UK prime minister]” during his performance of “Vossi Bop” this summer. And while But there’s still enough frantic grime thrills in the carnival crackles of “Pop Boy”, featuring a laid-back verse from Aitch, and the Boris-baiting “Vossi Bop” to keep the record pumping. At the root of Stormzy’s appeal, as well as his authenticity, is a charismatic swagger.

This is a big album packed full of church choirs, thumping bass and high strings, that, admittedly, sometimes threatens to buckle under the weight of its own ambition. ‘Heavy Is The Head’ also sees Stormzy wrestles with his place upon the throne. And as much as he lauds the “platinum plats” he’s won, he’s brutally honest about what he’s lost, too. The versatility on show gives a sheen of adventurousness that isn’t quite backed up by the beat selections—the majority of which feel like safe choices for an artist otherwise known for his accelerated ambitions.

Imagine that pressure multiplied by about a thousand when the artist in question has already headlined Glastonbury and won more awards than you can fit in a trophy cabinet, let alone on a mantelpiece.If that was the opening salvo, ‘Audacity’ featuring Closing the album is first single ‘Vossi Bop’, and with the album dropping on 13th December - the day after the general election - giving the middle finger to Boris Johnson has never been timelier.‘Heavy is the Head’ absolutely hits it out of the park. Stormzy – ‘Heavy Is The Head’ review: a broad-reaching, genre-buckling romp On his second album, Stormzy wants to do everything, all the time, better than everyone else.

All rights reserved. Moments of doubt and frustration creep in. He skips over the beat on “Pop Boy” with such ease that there’s little to do but sit back and revel in it.

“Lesson”, a jazzy loverman rap, is the heart of the album, detailing the end of a relationship with a partner who couldn’t take the limelight’s heat (his own long-term relationship with presenter and DJ Maya Jama ended this summer). He boasts about his collection of Brit awards on the catchy “Rainfall” – more throb than beat – but only as a virulent comeback against the “enemies” attacking him for his success. Adjacent songs are linked with one another sonically and lyrically: “Wiley Flow” and “Bronze” trade grimey taunts over record sales and certifications; “Crown” and “Rainfall” meld praise and introspection in an extension of These threads between tracks are a cute touch, but feel slightly overwrought as the record slides between pared-back grime, luxurious R&B, introspective trap, gospel confessional, and puff-chested rap. “Uneasy is the head that wears the crown”, wrote William Shakespeare.


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