Stormzy shares tracklist and release date for new album ‘This Is What I Mean’

Stormzy has officially announced his third studio album, with the 12-track 'This is What I Mean' expected to drop November 25.

The lauded grime artist took to Instagram yesterday (October 12) to share the news via an image of a letter on a doorstep, alongside a handwritten tracklist. No features have been confirmed for the record yet.

Described as “an intimate love letter to music” in a press statement, the album is said to have been created while Stormzy attended a “ music camp” in Osea Island, Essex — where the artist according to NME would pray every morning during the genesis of the new record.

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“When you hear about music camps they always sound intense and sombre,” Stormzy explains. “People saying: ‘We need to make an album.’ ‘We need to make some hit records.’ But this felt beautifully free. We’re all musicians but we weren’t always doing music. Some days we played football or walked around taking pictures. And the bi-product to that was very beautiful music.

“Because when you marry that ethos with world class musicians and the best producers, writers and artists in the world, and we’re in one space, that’s a recipe for something that no one can really imagine. You can’t even calculate what that’s going to come up with. And it came up with a big chunk of this album.”

Whilst on tour back in March, the grime star announced his third album whilst performing at the first show in Cardiff.

Behind Stormzy a video played showing shots of him in the studio recording his new LP with the last shot reading: “Album 3. Coming 2022.”

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Last month, he released the single ‘Mel Made Me Do It’ which came with a cameo-packed music video including the likes of 30 well-loved celebrities from JME to José Mourinho.

Feature verses on the single come from Stylo G and a monologue from Wretch 32 written by screenwriter and actress Michaela Coel.

Tracklist:
1. ‘Fire + Water’
2. ‘This Is What I Mean’
3. ‘FireBabe’
4. ‘Please’
5. ‘Need You’
6. ‘Hide & Seek’
7. ‘My Presidents Are Black’
8. ‘Sampha’s Plea’
9. ‘Holy Spirit’
10. ‘Bad Blood’
11. ‘I Got My Smile Back’
12. ‘Give It To The Water’

‘This Is What I Mean’ will be out globally via 0207 Def Jam on November 25. Pre-order it here.

Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Video and Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter