Yesterday, Stormzy‘s sophomore album Heavy Is The Head was released, easily meeting and surpassing the high standard set by his first project, Gang Signs & Prayers.
In a recent interview, Stormzy stated, “I still love R&B as much as I love rap. I love gospel as much as I love hip-hop. I love soul as much as I love grime, and that’s always been incorporated into me.” These various influences shine brighter than ever in Heavy Is The Head, as the Croydon native displays a creative flow over a plethora styles unlike any ̶g̶r̶i̶m̶e̶ artist in the game.
In Heavy Is The Head, Stormzy returns to his aggressive grime signature in tracks such as ‘Big Michael,’ ‘Handsome’ and ‘Wiley Flow’ among others, showcasing his energy and intensity that has become synonymous with greatness. Big Michael also shares more radio-friendly ballads in tracks such as ‘Rainfall’ alongside Tiana Major9, ‘One Second’ with H.E.R. and ‘Own It’ featuring Ed Sheeran and Burna Boy. Moreover, he displays an unmatched versatility, delivering bars with ease over a drill beat in ‘Audacity’ with Headie One and a quintessential Aitch beat in ‘Pop Boy’ with the young legend himself, proving to be anything but a one trick pony.
In addition to the impressive quality and quantity of tracks in Heavy Is The Head, Stormzy gets introspective with his lyrical work, often shunning haters and reflecting on recent experiences to add personality to the project. Heavy Is The Head showcases a Stormzy that is more confident than ever, boasting a swagger that is next to none. Check it out below and let us know your favourites.
