Stormzy's biggest collaborations: From Little Mix to Ed Sheeran
He's got friends in high places
Stormzy has come a long way since he first blew up with the release of 'Shut Up' and its viral music video back in 2015. From there, he has gone on to release three albums including 'This Is What I Mean' on 25th November 2022.
He headlined Glastonbury in 2019, which was one of the most memorable and acclaimed performances in the festival's history, and has truly transcended Grime and UK Rap - becoming one of the UK's biggest artists full stop.
Through his incredibly successful career he has collaborated with a vast array of other artists from a range of genres. Whilst he has collaborated with fellow rappers, such as Ghetts and Dave, he has also collaborated with pop stars such as Ed Sheeran and Little Mix with amazing results. Here are some of his biggest collaborations...
Stormzy's biggest collaborations:
'Cigarettes and Cush' with Kehlani and Lily Allen (2017)
One of Stormzy's earliest collaborations came with the song 'Cigarettes and Cush' in 2017, which was released as a single for his debut album 'Gang Signs and Prayer.' The song featured Kehlani and Lily Allen, two artists who complemented Stormzy's voice and rhymes perfectly to create one of his most popular songs.
Watch the music video to Stormzy's 'Cigarettes and Cush' here.
(Contains explicit language)
'Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2' with MNEK (2017)
'Blinded by Your Grace Pt. 2' is a real standout on 'Gang Signs and Prayer' in part through the inclusion of British producer and vocalist MNEK, whose presence really elevates the song. His vocals take the song to that next level, leaning into its gospel influences. the result is one of Stormzy's most beautiful songs.
Watch the music video for Stormzy's 'Blinded by Your Grace PT. 2' here.
'Bad Boys' with Ghetts and J Hus (2017)
On 'Bad Boys', another track from 'Gang Signs and Prayer', Stormzy teamed up with fellow UK rappers Ghetts and J Hus, to deliver an unadulterated Grime banger. This song is a real victory lap for Stormzy and the tradition of music he comes from.
Listen to Stormzy's 'Bad Boys' here.
(Contains explicit language)
'21 Gun Salute (Interlude)' with Wretch 32 (2017)
Although '21 Gun Salute' is an interlude on the album, it is still a definite stand out and a nice change of pace, with Stormzy and guest rapper Wretch 32 rapping over a glittering piano melody. It is also an important collaboration as it sees two legends of UK rap united on the same track.
Listen to Stormzy's '21 Gun Salute (Interlude)' here.
(Contains explicit language)
Little Mix - 'Power' with Stormzy (2017)
Now, on paper, this collaboration shouldn't work as well as it does. Little Mix are a fully fledged pop group and at this point in his career, Stormzy hadn't really moved into this genre yet. However, the fact 'Power', an anthemic pop song, works as well as it does speaks to Stormzy's versatility as an artist and his ability to deliver the goods as a guest rapper.
Watch the music video for Little Mix and Stormzy's 'Power' here.
Jon Bellion - 'All Time Low' (2017)
Stormzy added a verse to the remixed version of Jon Bellion's hit track 'All Time Low' which was released in March 2017, the year after the original came out. The track has since become popular on TikTok.
Listen to 'All Time Low' by Jon Bellion featuring Stormzy here.
(Contains explicit language)
Krept and Konan - 'Ask Flipz' with Stormzy (2017)
For 'Ask Flipz' UK rap legends Krept and Konan recruited Stormzy to deliver some tight flows in this grime banger. The amount of British rapping talent on show here is truly extraordinary. The song wrapped up Stormzy's output for 2017, which ended up being a very big year for him.
Watch the music video for Krept and Konan, and Stormzy's 'Ask Flipz' here.
(Contains explicit language)
Jorja Smith - 'Let Me Down' (2018)
In 2018 Stormzy further proved his ability to elevate songs as a featured artist when he collaborated with Jorja Smith on her song 'Let Me Down.' Honestly, Jorja and Stormzy go together like chips and gravy. We can't believe they haven't collaborated more than once, hopefully there are more collabs on the horizon.
Watch the music video for Jorja Smith and Stormzy's 'Let Me Down' here.
(Contains explicit language)
Ed Sheeran - 'Take Me Back To London' with Stormzy (2019)
The bromance between Stormzy and Ed Sheeran is well established and is easily one of the most ICONIC in British music. In 2019 they made it official, when Stormzy was featured on Ed's song 'Take Me Back to London' from his album 'No.6 Collaborations Project.' Ed later returned the favour appearing on one of Stormzy's tracks the following year.
Watch the music video for Ed Sheeran and Stormzy's 'Take Me Back to London' here.
(Contains explicit language)
'Own it' with Ed Sheeran and Burna Boy (2019)
Stormzy and Ed Sheeran united once again for 'Own It', the fourth single released as part of Stormzy's second album 'Heavy Is the Head.' This time the two brought Burna Boy along for the ride. The result is a Dancehall inspired banger, that reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart.
Watch the music video for Stormzy's 'Own It' here.
'Pop Boy' with Aitch (2019)
On 'Pop Boy' Stormzy collaborated with one of the biggest rising stars in UK rap, Manchester rapper Aitch. The result is a hard-hitting Grime banger that sees the two rappers trading bars. Their chemistry is next level and we hope to see some more collabs in the future. The song also appeared on Stormzy's album 'Heavy Is the Head.'
Listen to Stormzy's 'Pop boy' here.
(Contains explicit language)
Aya Nakamura - 'Plus Jamais' with Stormzy (2020)
Stormzy added English vocals to this track by French singer Aya Nakamura. 'Plus Jamais' topped the charts in France when it came out in November 2020.
Watch the video on YouTube.
Dave - 'Clash' with Stormzy (2021)
Dave and Stormzy collaborated in 2021 with 'Clash', Dave's first single in almost two years. Their collab had been teased for a long time and boy did it deliver. 'Clash' was the lead single of Dave's sophomore album 'We're All Alone In This Together.'
Watch the music video for Dave and Stormzy's 'Clash' here.
(Contains explicit language)
Amaare, Black Sherif, Jacob Collier, MS Banks & Storry - 'This Is What I Mean'
In November 2022, Stormzy's 'This Is What I Mean' was released. The title track of the album featured Amaare, Black Sherif, Jacob Collier, MS Banks & Storry, with Stormzy.
'The Weekend' with RAYE
In July 2023, Stormzy teamed up with RAYE on 'The Weekend'. The song details the trials and tribulations of finding love and combines Stormzy's rap with RAYE's soulful vocals.
Watch the music video for 'The Weekend' here.
(Contains explicit language)
Read more:
Aitch: Get to know the 'Safe To Say' rapper
Everything you need to know about 'Blinded by Your Grace' rapper Stormzy
Dave: Get to know the BRIT Award-winning rapper 🌟