Stormzy Returns With "This Is What I Mean"

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Stormzy’s follow-up to 2019’s “Heavy Is The Crown” includes appearances from Sampha, India Arie, Ms Banks, and more.

Stormzy's word holds weight out here. In the three years since Heavy Is The Crowd, he's dished out a few features and remained lowkey. However, the lead-up to the album's release shook up the Internet as they awaited Big Mike's return.

Stormzy slid through with the release of his third studio album, This Is What I Mean this morning. Led by "Firebabe" and "Hide & Seek," Stormzy generally takes a step back from his grime roots to embrace a lush, soulful sound. Across the project, Stormzy flexes his vocal capabilities through his honesty and vulnerability through mellow soundscapes.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 13: Stormzy visits Bauer Media at 1 Golden Square on October 13, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images For Bauer Media)

The rapper shared a lengthy message to his fans on Instagram just before the album dropped. He made a point to acknowledge that shift in directions musically but stated that he has no intentions of abandoning rap or grime completely.

"I pray that you listen to this album in your own time, whenever you can. Listen to it properly with no distractions. I pray that 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," Stormzy said. "I pray that it move you and captures your imagination and I pray that someone, somewhere feels it."

Following his hiatus, Stormzy kicked off the campaign with a 7-minute record titled, "Mel Made Me Do It" in September along with a music video featuring a slew of athletes and musicians. In addition, he's also the face of Adidas World Cup campaign alongside Lionel Messi and more.

Check out Stormzy's new album, This Is What I Mean below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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