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.
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.