After almost three years since his last solo release, Stormzy is back with a vengeance. In his brand new song “Mel Made Me Do It”, the UK icon lays down a hearty seven minutes of bold, nuanced lyrics whilst palming off his haters, reeling off his accolades and toying with a number of effortless flows. There is no hook, no bridge, no catchy chorus; this song is not for the naysayers, the foot-tappers or the TikTok fanatics. Stormzy is SPEAKING to us and he is not mincing his words.
The 11-minute music video elevates the song to new heights with its star-studded cameos. It immediately created waves across the internet, boasting a number of iconic appearances from huge names across all facets of culture: sports stars like Jose Mourinho, Usain Bolt, Dina Asher Smith and Ian Wright; TV presenters including Jonathan Ross, Louis Theroux and Zeze Millz; trailblazers in UK music like Trevor Nelson and Gabrielle alongside contemporary hitmakers, Dave, Headie One, Tiana Major9, Little Simz and Stylo G; notable UK black public figures including Nella Rose, Julie Adenuga, Malorie Blackman, Melissa Holdbrook-Akposoe, creatives from No Signal, and not forgetting a tribute to the late Jamal Edwards. The list goes on.
Uniting this extensive range of household names is a flex within a flex for Stormzy – we see the power of his impact glorified through the breadth of his network. Within his lyrics, Stormzy also takes time to shout out artists including Lauryn Hill, Adele, J Hus and MoStack. The track is a celebration of him and all of those around him.
“Mel Made Me Do It” begins with an audio clip of Stormzy’s mother announcing, “I am not [flying] economy: Stormzy is my son.” As he encourages his mother to “claim it”, we are introduced to the opening bars of the track. The rapper welcomes us all to take a seat and listen as he spells out the impact of his artistry and the curation of his legacy. Stormzy spits lyrics about his unmatchable and presidential status as the G.O.A.T., a sentiment carried throughout the track. After being slammed in the past for perhaps venturing too far from his grime roots, Stormzy reminds us of his rap prowess by delivering witty wordplay and taking direct shots at his haters on several occasions. The faint-hearted Twitter debaters may want to cover their ears when Stormzy claps back at the “broke-ass bill-splitters” who try to tell him he’s “not a real spitter”. Ouch.
One of the most iconic scenes in the video involves the legendary Jose Mourinho holding a finger to his lips following the lyric, “I prefer not to speak like I’m Jose”, which goes hand-in-hand with an audio clip of the football manager stating, “if I speak, I am in big trouble”. This scene has already taken the internet by storm.
Another notable pause in the video is dedicated to the woman behind the song’s namesake, Melissa Holdbrook Akposoe (a.k.a Melissa’s Wardobe), beauty expert, entrepreneur, interior decorator and stylist to Stormzy and other celebrities. The title of the song is a nod to her own social media tagline, “Mel Made Me Do It”. We cut out to a scene of Melissa using a lint roller to dust off Stormzy’s shoulders as they match in lime and green outfits.
The most powerful moment comes in the final minutes of the video, when the beat cuts out to accentuate a poetic monologue narrated by actress Michaela Coel and written by Wretch 32. “Many great black influential giants have touched people from soul to soul throughout many generations… Our DNA empowers us, we can make a song and dance out of anything. Our genes are enriched.” We see white cloth on brown skin as the swathes of notable black icons walk through the lush green grounds of the set whilst Coel speaks, before they stand and stare directly into the camera holding white umbrellas. The imagery is chillingly powerful; we see the beauty of black British excellence in all of its hues. Here Stormzy is doing what Stormzy does best: uplifting those who have come before and after him whilst reminding us of the glory that is blackness.
It’s fair to say that this video is a masterpiece. “Mel Made Me Do It” an exhibition of greatness and an emblem of pride and audacity; it is an ode to wholeheartedly claiming the success you have worked hard for and not being afraid to be cocky about it. And through it all, Stormzy does not fail to remind his listeners and watchers that he is unapologetically black.