Stormzy hopes new album ‘moves you and captures your imagination’
The UK rapper said he was never ‘purposely trying to defy genres or go against the grain’ but would continue ‘to make art for the rest of my life’.
Stormzy says he hopes his new album “moves you and captures your imagination” as he shared an intimate post ahead of its release.
The UK rapper said he was never “purposely trying to defy genres or go against the grain” but would continue “to make art for the rest of my life”.
It comes ahead of his highly anticipated third studio album, This Is What I Mean, which is due to be released at midnight on Thursday.
The 12-track offering is set to drop three years after his 2019 album Heavy Is The Head.
In a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday, Stormzy said he was not “a calculated mastermind” about his music, but hoped his new album would show his critics that he would “do whatever he likes”.
He said he was “hesitant” to release the message because he wished to let “my music do all the talking” and his messages often did not feel the same written down.
“I feel like I overshare, which makes me feel naked at times,” he wrote.
“But I do it so that you guys can understand me a bit better and to give the art that I make some context. I’m never ever purposely trying to defy genres or go against the grain.
“I’m never tryna do what is unexpected of me or what is expected of me. If I rap for seven minutes it’s because in my spirit, in that moment, I just really want to f****** rap.”
“If I sing my heart out it’s because my soul just absolutely had to. I love music. I love, love, loveeeee music. I will rap for the rest of my life. I will sing for the rest of my life, I will make art for the rest of my life.
“And at no point will I ever do any of those things for any other reason than I just wanted to and it just felt good.”
He continued: “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.
“People been tryna box me in for years but I hope this chapter at least makes my biggest critics say ‘hey, he’s shit but he loves music and I guess he’s gonna do whatever he likes’ lol.”
Stormzy shared intimate details of his personal life, the pressures of making his music and his religion in a recent BBC documentary with Louis Theroux.
“I pray you listen to this album in your own time, whenever you can. Listen to it properly with no distractions,” he said on Instagram.
“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. This is what I mean and it’s what I’ve always meant. God bless. Stormzy x.”
