Album Reviews

Stormzy mellows out after a period of retreat and repair

The British rapper’s latest album after time out from social media is more subtle and low key than earlier collections

Stormzy: His third album was recorded on an island in the River Blackwater estuary, Essex

Stormzy: This Is What I Mean (0207 Def Jam)

Defined by English rapper Stormzy as “an intimate love letter to music”, his third album arrives following a prayer session every morning as it was being recorded on an inhabited island in the River Blackwater estuary, Essex. It also arrives following a restorative three-year retreat from social media, and that can only mean one thing: a level of bright-eyed freshness and outlook unhindered by echo chambers. ...