Stormzy’s new album This Is What I Mean is on the way, and to keep the momentum going, he’s released the third single, “Firebabe.” It’s a tender reflection on a life-changing partnership with a woman he calls a “miracle” and his “happy place.” In the video, Stormzy sits in a glass-walled house looking over the pool outside while crooning in a cozy sweater. Stormzy might be best-known for his gritty, big-man raps, but when he sings these sort of gentle ballads, he has the warmth to really make them work.
In a statement, he says of the single, “Debbie, George [Moore] and I got in the studio together and it was the most beautiful moment. It was a session I’ll never forget, for the rest of my life. It was extremely special and everyone in the room understood that. We were making something that hopefully, God willing, lives forever. Something that has soul and feeling and it came from a really pure place. We took a truth and made some art from it.”
Stormzy previously kicked off the rollout for This Is What I Mean in September with the video for “Mel Made Me Do It” and delivered the Afropop-flavored “Hide & Seek” in October. This Is What I Mean is due on 11/25 via 0207/Def Jam. Pre-save it here.
Watch the video for “Firebabe” above.