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This Is What I Mean
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Stormzy
Martha Lilli Probert
The rapper's most vulnerable, considered, and assured album yet
If Stormzy’s previous album, Heavy Is The Head, established him as one of the foremost voices in the contemporary British music scene, then his new work, This Is What I Mean, is his assertion of how exactly how he wants to use that voice.
On first listen, it is evident that this is Stormzy at his most open; many tracks address the breakdown of his relationship with presenter Maya Jama, who he dated from 2015-2019. In a recent television interview with Louis Theroux, Stormzy spoke about the reasons for the break-up, “I didn’t do what a man should do to fully appreciate love, and care for his woman.” On ‘Bad Blood’, he laments, “We didn't even grow apart / We just fell apart, that's the saddest part / And I had your heart, that's the maddest part”. The sense of regret he feels over the relationship’s failure is palpable across the album, arguably being its central theme.
The emotional maturity of Stormzy’s lyricism on This Is What I Mean extends beyond his mourning of his split with Jama. On ‘I Got My Smile Back’, he dissects his journey with his mental health. Its second verse opens, “The last time I linked, depression was a while back / Me and loneliness kick it from time to time / She knows the deal, that I ain't hers and she ain't mine”. ‘My Presidents Are Black’ features another side of Stormzy, one which we are perhaps more familiar with. Over an infectious beat which displays his ability to develop the sounds of his origins in grime, he asserts “we're bustin' all your favourite myths, nowadays, I pull up on my Zadie Smith / A master with a pen, skin-tone darker than your skeng”. His pride in his position as an advocate for the Black community in
Britain is apparent both on this track and across the album, through his collaborations with artists including Scribz Riley, Ms Banks, and Nao. Blending trap, gospel, Afrobeats, and more, This Is What I Mean is Stormzy’s strongest work to date. That being said, despite his claim that we are "tuned into his magnum opus", one feels that there is even more, even better, to come.
Artist Profile: Fontaines DC
Chantelle Badhan
With less than 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Fontaines D.C. are a band that I highly recommend to anyone who is open to music of a remarkable essence. The Irish post-punk band have a distinct sound that is unique to anything I’ve ever heard before. Influenced and brought together by a common love of poetry, Fontaines combine their passion with music to create a gritty, urban sound and narrative.
The band’s debut album Dogrel, released in 2019 consists of the catchy, head-bopping tunes; ‘Boys in the Better Land’ and ‘Sha Sha Sha’, (which you should definitely listen to if you haven’t already). The lead singer Grian Chatten embraces his Dublin accent when singing, captivating any listeners and expressing the feel of the band’s lifestyle whilst representing where they’re from. The title of the album is an homage to Doggerel which is working class Irish poetry and essentially means ‘poetry of the people’ making the band very political when it comes to their views on capitalism in Dublin, and the problems with the Irish government which they express as a muse for their music.
A Hero’s Death is Fontaines second album which was released in 2020 and immediately starts with a grungy, alternative toned song which features Grian’s weirdly addictive melodramatic voice singing ‘I Don’t Belong’. The consistent nihilistic energy that is woven into every album by Fontaines D.C. along with the anachronistic feel is what differentiates the band from commercialised music that dominates the industry as of today.
‘Skinty Fia’ is by far my favourite album by Fontaines D.C. simply because of the lugubrious vibe that the songs radiate. This album was made to listen to in the winter, when the days are cold, dark and gloomy and you are walking through a low-lit area with ‘Roman Holiday’ blasting on full volume in your headphones. Witnessing songs from ‘Skinty Fia’ live at Reading festival was an experience that influenced me to listen to the whole of the Fontaines D.C. discography after being in an atmosphere that I will never forget.
Although Fontaines D.C. have been recognised and rewarded for their successes by winning an NME award and being nominated for a Grammy and Brit award, it is undeniable that the band deserve more appreciation for making high quality music that can be listened to on repeat and still wouldn’t get bored of.
Image credit: Facebook
Battle of the World Cup Singles
Forget the actual football, our writers focus on the more important competition: which is the best World Cup single?
Dan Finch
The opening lines to Jason Derulo’s ‘Colors’ certainly capture the uplifting essence of the single. "Oh, what a feeling. Look what we’ve overcome.” The opening lines to Jason Derulo’s ‘Colors’ certainly capture the uplifting essence of the single. Whilst we proceed to hear the expected, refined sound of a Derulo pop track, the lyrics are what stand out to me. Each line is practically riddled with celebration.
As far as I’m concerned, a World Cup single should contain two essential ingredients. First, a simple rhythm fit for a stadium. Equally, a message of community is required. Derulo is successful in ticking both boxes. Therefore, I can overlook the financial fizz of the lyric, “Can’t you taste the feeling?”, thanks to the joyous layering of his vocals which resemble those of a choir. The anthemic chorus seems to possess even stronger feeling after recent years, as the popstar reminds listeners, “Look how far we’ve come now.”
I think one of the reasons I appreciate the song so much is the memories I associate with it. Perhaps, it is the melodic production that sounds so much like the sun. With that being said, the single induces some grievance for the same reason. I can’t be the only one who wouldn’t mind returning to the summer of 2018.
Connor James Lamb
Confession time: I do not like football at all. But I love memorable pop music that innovatives and bucks against current trends. Shakira achieved exactly this when she released Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) for the 2010 World Cup. With Shakira's last album before the World Cup (She Wolf), she jumped into the electropop craze started by Lady Gaga.
While a good album in its own right, and it did well commercially, Shakira had given up her musical identity in order to to chase a hit single. However, instead of retreating back to her music of previous years, she decided to shift gears for her big World Cup single, and it's still one of the best songs to come out of both the World Cup and Shakira's broader discography.
Afro-fusion and other African influenced music genres have never been mainstays in pop music, so Waka Waka is still a breath of fresh air. After an invigorating intro of chants, Shakira leads the opening verse with a pulsating beat that feels like it could be from any of her albums. But then the chorus hits with a gust of African guitars and drums and the song becomes a fitting and dancable tribute to the 2010 host country. The inclusion of South African band Freshlyground also helps pay respect to Africa. Perhaps Freshlyground should have gotten more vocal lines rather than just the bridge. The other potential issue with the track is the lyrics being filled with generic and cliche platitudes, but overall, this will always be the quintessential World Cup song.
Music 21
Live Review: Black Midi at NX
Anthony Welsh
- Science Sub-editor
Arule I’ve had for years of gig-going in Newcastle is to never go to the venue formerly known as the O2 Academy for a gig. The sound was usually shit, the pints were expensive and watery, and you were lucky if you made it through the show without a £6 lager being launched at your head. Electric Group (that lot who run Electric Brixton in London) have christened this onetime Gala Bingo hall into NX Newcastle, and in doing so proved an incontrovertible fact: you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a fucking pig.
Kicking off the music were Japanese group Dos Monos who came on doing a fun Beastie Boys pass-the-mic type thing complete with mad vaporwavey net.art graphics in the background. Next came Black Midi who were in fine fettle, opening the show with the bombastic, boxing announcer fanfare of the new album track Sugar Tzu. Between the injustice dealt to the band by the aforementioned venue sound, the night seemed to lack the raw intimacy you need with a band like this. Ticket and merch sales are a lifeline for all touring bands now, and the commercial choice to sacrifice playing a smaller independent venue like The Cluny meant the band's live experience seemed a bit lost.
There were moments of flare and silliness with track 'John L' intermixed with a crowd pleasing jam of not one, but TWO Sting/The Police songs. The crowd at a Black Midi show are your typical softboi/ art bro ephemera; skinny, awkward, malnourished men half observing with cool detachment, the other half desperate to start the world's safest mosh pit. Between bands and songs, several in attendance, my +1 and I included, chose to airdrop memes back and forth to strangers, which made the venue problems all the more tolerable.
As a one-time Black Midi evangelist-turned casual enjoyer, I was really hyped for this gig. Over many lockdown nights 202021, my house mate Phil and I passed our hours not being allowed to play out or meet girls legally by drinking pint cans of Kronenbourg 1664 (were there really blokes cutting around drinking Kronenbourg in 1664?) in our uni house while casting YouTube videos to the TV or playing records really loud.
One fateful night we came across Black Midi playing a Boiler Room set and they quickly became my new favourite band. They were tight as fuck. Their drummer Morgan Simpson was like a metronome. You couldn’t place their collective musical references in one place. They were equal parts Sonic Youth, The Fall, Shellac, Captain Beefheart, blah blah blah… you get where I’m going with it. All the greats. And they tied it all up in this weird, avant-garde free jazz jam session type package complete with unusual time signatures, math rocky staccato guitar stabs and mad streamof-consciousness gibberish courtesy of frontman Geordie Greep. I loved that band, and to their credit, they still performed like that band on the night. But the swine of a venue that is NX let them down.
Battle of the World Cup Singles
Jack Evans
Released in 1990, World in Motion became the soundtrack to England’s World Cup campaign in Italy that year, a song truly fitting for England’s successes that year.
While England didn’t win that World Cup, being eliminated in the semifinals, it was their best World Cup performance since winning it in 1966. The song too was one of the most successful football songs of its time and has continued to soundtrack many of England’s football campaigns since.
It has in recent years played second fiddle to ‘Three Lions’ or ‘Football’s Coming Home’ as it’s better known, but I personally still think that it’s England’s best football song to hear at tournament.
The song was written by New Order, a band known for their popularity in the 80s, and it captures the sound of their most well-known songs such as ‘Blue Monday’. The song features not only catchy instrumentation but a good set of vocals from the band and members of the England squad.
The most significant guest vocalist, however, is probably John Barnes who produces an iconic rap in the second half of the song. Put that with backing vocal from other England players and commentary from the 1966 World Cup win and you’ve got a perfect World Cup song.
Lucy Bower
- Music Sub-editor
It would be rude to talk about World Cup Singles without mentioning one of the most classic tunes 'Wavin' Flag' by K'NAAN. After being chosen as Coca Cola's promotional Anthem for the 2010 cup, this song is quintessentially vibrant. 2010 marks the year that Spain won in South Africa, and was one of my own earliest memories of experiencing the sheer excitement of a World Cup.
For me, this song fuses national pride with a universality that allows players and spectators alike to dance together. There is a bouncy reggae rhythm that acts as a solid foundation as chants underpin the main melody. Coca Cola themselves described this song as 'inspired by the joyous dance celebrations familiar to Africa' as the cultures across the globe are united together through football and music (what more could you need?).
This song fuses national pride and allows players and spectators to dance
The lyrics are also a valuable part of this song. By the time I'm writing this, I have listened to this song for about twenty minutes straight (sorry if you have me on Spotify) but somehow I'm still not sick of it. The symbolic idea of "they'll call me freedom, just like a wavin' flag" is a bold and powerful one as the flags allude to the pride fans have for their own teams.
K'NAAN has brought together an infectious single with comradery to create the best World Cup single.
TM
Brockhampton
George Neal
Have Brockhampton fallen short on their latest album?
For the past six years Brockhampton has showcased a bright spectrum of energetic talents - from its wide selection of members across various rap projects. But, as all good things must come to an end, the legendary group recently dropped the two last albums of their career: TM and The Family. With TM serving as the actual finale, there’s quite a bit of surprise to take in with this 37-minute ride, most notably how shockingly flat it is compared to the rest of the group’s discography.
With Roadrunner having raised the bar even higher last year with lightning production, killer features and strikingly vulnerable moments, TM ultimately feels like a collection of discarded B sides from that album jumbled together as a lastminute send-off. But while crushingly-tight concepts and pushing the greatest of skills from all thirteen members may not be essential to have a satisfying experience, TM nonetheless remains a disappointment, with tracks ranging from serviceable bangers to some of the driest material they have ever put out.
The album’s strong moments are undoubtedly when our artists reveal their fiery passion hasn’t run out yet, with Kevin Abstract and Matt Champion spitting ruthlessly on the simple hi-hat banger ‘FMG’ and flowing like angry butter melting through hell on the trap-acoustic fusion ‘New Shoes.’ The boys also show classic moments of internalisation and vulnerability on songs like ‘Crucify Me,’ (‘My lowest points were formed standing at the sink, I gotta hide these tears just like a G’) supported by a moving low-fi chorus from Joba. However, on other songs, Brockhampton find themselves attempting to retrace the past with a blunt pencil.
Tracks like Animal and Listering have passable lyrics but all too familiar and uninteresting beats and vocals. When production isn’t needlessly dry, it's most likely way overblown. Most notably, the embarrassing synth-pop and vocal work on ‘Man on the Moon’, which feels like someone stuck an adrenaline needle into a Daft Punk song after sucking out any originality. While there are certainly moments of reinvigorated swagger and iconic hilarity on TM (‘Green Lamborghin' look like Bulbasaur and his dad’), it remains a head-scratching ‘conclusion’ to a group with an otherwise stunning legacy. Image Credit: Spotify
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You took my breath away now I can't suck in my stomach around you anymore
