The multifaceted artist is no stranger to success with two #1 albums firmly under his belt. This album was a long-awaited addition to his discography, one that was more of a love letter to his music, than a power play for the charts.
In an open letter the night before the release date, the artist spoke from the heart to his world of listeners. “I pray you listen to this album in your own time, whenever you can. Listen to it properly with no distractions. I pray you listen to this album with an open heart and if you hate it after I promise to God I’m perfectly fine with that, I’m just grateful that you listened with openness. I pray that it moves you and captures your imagination. And I pray that someone, somewhere, feels it”.
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Prior to the album; we got a taste of how the artist's sound had changed since his last release; Gang Signs & Prayer. ‘Hide & Seek’ and ‘Firebabe’ were first released as singles, and show [or rather, prove] Stormzy’s abilities as a vocalist in addition to his roots as a proven grime connoisseur. This step away from grime and rap is something the artist is also aware of, in the track ‘My Presidents are black’ has hints of the viral track 'Mel Made Me Do It' and with shout-outs to fellow grime artists Dave and Wretch32 “remember when they told us just to rap”.
The album has a lineal structure; with a “beginning, middle & end”. It has a solemn start, then fades into the title track 'This is What I Mean' - which sounds like the classic Stormzy we all know [and love]. Something we can expect from an artist of Stormzy’s calibre is that there are no bad songs, only some better than others. A highlight, and potentially a song of the year is ‘Please’. It shows vulnerability as an artist, and as a man, and aptly portrays the journey Stormzy has endured to develop and hone his unique sound. It represents not only the arch in the album but also in his life and career; and it has culminated in a piece of music which overpowered the rest of the album, in the best way possible.
Grime, hip-hop, soul, afrobeats, and gospel; are all genres that the album has melted together. This Is What I Mean takes listeners through a world of emotions; depression, heartbreak, vulnerability, forgiveness and joy. It feels timeless, and isn’t that the sign of a good bit of everlasting music? In his own words “ I am not a calculated mastermind with the ability to gauge what kind of music to make and when I’ll make it, I literally just feel and then let it out”. Stormzy has taken over the reins and is redefining what it means to be a grime artist, and if this album is any indication as to what is next, I for one can’t wait to see what is.
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