Stormzy will make a country record or dancehall album if he feels inspired to do so.
The ‘Big for Your Boots’ hitmaker’s third studio LP ‘This Is What I Mean’ sees him take his music in a new direction, and he is open to trying anything as an artist regardless of other people’s opinions.
Speaking to host Julie Adenuga for ‘Stormzy: This Is What I Mean – Live From the Queen Elizabeth Hall’ – an immersive showcase of Stormzy’s latest album presented by Amazon Music’s +44 – he said: “If I want to make a dancehall album, if I want to make a country album, I’ll do it.”
The show was filmed on Tuesday night (29.11.22) and will be available to watch on Wednesday night (30.11.22) via the Amazon Music UK Twitch channel (Twitch.tv/amazonmusicuk) and Prime Video at 7pm GMT.
During the show, Stormzy discussed his new era in his own words, and answered questions from a star-studded crowd which included Wretch 32, Sampha, Mo Gilligan, Zeze Millz, Jazzie B, Avelino, Michael Dapaah and more.
When asked by Wretch 32 how he settled on the final tracklist for ‘This Is What I Mean’, he said: “Music should be testament to feeling – if it felt good, we did it.”
As well as performing new album tracks ‘Please’, ‘Give It To The Water’ and ‘My Presidents Are Black’ from for the first time ever, Stormzy also discussed the musicality of the record and his creative process.
The 29-year-old rapper insisted he wasn’t looking for validation from the LP, and hailed it the most “selfish album” he’s made to date.
The final question of the evening came from British soul legend Gabrielle, who asked what Stormzy wants his legacy to be. Paraphrasing Zadie Smith, he said he “hopes he contributes to the vast river of British music, culture and art”.