On a day that will go down as National Stormzy Day, Spotify has continued their support for the South London spitter by making him the focus of their New Music Friday UK playlist. Two of his songs have been featured, as well as an Ed Sheeran remix that also features Big Mike.
This is another big move for Stormzy after he scored himself a prime-time advert during the BRITs promoting his newly-released album Gang Signs and Prayer (which is incredible, by the way). Other artists featured in this week’s playlist include Calvin Harris with Frank Ocean and Migos, Jason Derulo with Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign, Future & Rihanna, Thundercat & Kendrick Lamar, Major Lazer and Belly Squad.
Stormzy – Cold
Cold is the second track on Gang Signs and Prayer and is a cocky, confident and outrageous grime track. It’s reminiscent of his 2016 releases “Scary” and “Standard”, showcasing a familiar style of delivery and a simple hook that could energise the lamest of crowds. Featuring a brash synth line, this is a modern grime beat with booming 808s and a crazy snare pattern. Stormzy preaches “I been cold the whole the season, I should call my next song freezing”. He’s not wrong.
Stormzy – Cigarettes & Cush (feat. Kehlani)
A big contrast from “Cold”, “Cigarettes and Cush” is a melodic masterpiece that draws from Kehlani’s unique style of R&B. This is a dream collaboration from Stormzy, an independent powerhouse, and Kehlani, who was formerly an indie darling herself before her big label push and Grammy nomination. Stormz shows his tender side by providing some dope low-tone vocals on the hook, with a catchy refrain carrying the song. Kehlani’s verse is smooth and sits above the beat’s ditsy piano line perfectly. Stormzy ends the song with a tender, romantic verse about his heroic other half: the beat switch at this point in the song is amazing, it leaves the spotlight solely on the South London MC’s awesome flow and lyrics. Some of the small-part instrumentation on this track is just incredible too, like the trumpet line on the outro.
Ed Sheeran – Shape of You – Stormzy Remix
As seen on the BRITs on Wednesday, this remix of Ed’s hit single “Shape of You” from his album Divide which is due to drop next Friday, is jaw-dropping. The song only gets better with the addition of Stormzy. It’s hard to really comprehend how awesome Stormzy’s week has been between an album release and a performance at the BRITs with one of the biggest artists in the world, all after hitting the charts with “Big For Your Boots”. Stormzy’s verse gives the song a new flavour; his romanticised lyrics about a girl he’s crushing on are delivered so nonchalantly, he’s made feenin’ for a chick cool on this track.
Ed Sheeran – Shape of You – Major Lazer Remix (feat. Nyla & Kranium)
This Major Lazer remix of Ed’s hit is very different from the original and contrasts Stormzy’s remix too. With an all-new beat featuring some dope new percussion and additional vocals from N’yla on the hook, the drop is the focus of the song. Subby, dirty and different, this version of the track fulfils a completely different mood to the original. This remix is a club banger and both Kranium and N’yla do a great job on it. Props to Major Lazer for giving us an Ed Sheeran song people can really vibe to on a night out.
Calvin Harris – Slide (feat. Frank Ocean & Migos)
“Slide” opens up with a dope piano line and some pitched vocals that sound like they’re straight outta Frank Ocean’s critically acclaimed album Blonde. Frank’s hook is to die for and his unmistakable voice sounds great over the groovy bassline in the verses, demonstrating that his melodies are still out of this world. It’s classic Frank Ocean. Migos take over after the first verse with a melodic flow, bringing heat as always. This is such a hot collaboration from some of the biggest artists in the world right now.
Jason Derulo – Swalla (feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign)
“Swalla” has a bouncy beat that sits well underneath Derulo’s crooning melodies and actually reminds me a lot of what Shakka’s up to at the minute. The drop is a bit corny, but it fits the song and overall tone of the track. There are dope harmonies and adlibs all over the track; Ty Dolla $ign takes the second verse and sounds even better than Derulo while Nicki’s verse is crazy too. She’s really back to her best in her recent string of features. Her short verse is typically braggadocio and gives the track a new swag.
Future – Selfish (feat. Rihanna)
Following the release of his surprise new album HNDRXX, Future enlists Rihanna on new banger “Selfish”. Ri Ri sounds amazing on the intro and the lyrics are spectacular, too. I didn’t expect this kind of beauty from a Future track. Sure, his vocals are just as processed as ever, but they still seem emotional and raw. The melodies on this hook are mad – “Let’s be Selfish tonight” rings through the chorus. Future’s flow on the second verse is really impressive too, it’s puzzle-fit to the song.
Thundercat – Walk On By (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Smooth and sensual,”Walk On By” is the latest in a string of releases from Thundercat’s new album Drunk which came out today. Kendrick’s verse on this song is reminiscent of his Grammy award winning album To Pimp A Butterfly, which isn’t too surprising given that Thundercat is all over the record’s production. K Dot’s delivery is just as smooth as the beat he’s flowing over and compliments Thundercat’s swooning vocal melodies on the hook.
Belly Squad – Morning
From the Banana EP, “Morning” is a dope posse cut from Belly Squad. Littered with trap-inspired adlibs, “Morning” boasts a suave-sounding hook and a light, melodic beat. Fresh from receiving their 1 million views gold plaque from GRM Daily, Belly Squad are looking to make 2017 their year, for sure.