Headie One has released introspective new song ‘Cry No More’ featuring Stormzy – the launch single from his forthcoming second studio album ‘The Last One’. Check it out below.
Today (April 19), the Tottenham rapper released his second release of the year, following the reflective ‘Socials’ which he dropped last month. ‘Cry No More’ is the third time Headie One and Stormzy have worked together. They first collaborated on ‘Ain’t It Different’ from One’s debut album ‘Edna’ – which also featured AJ Tracey – before teaming up again on ‘Audacity’ from Stormzy’s album ‘Heavy Is The Head’.
‘Cry No More’ is produced by rap and R&B heavyweights Tay Keith (Travis Scott, Drake), Tommy Parker (Ariana Grande, 21 Savage) and Pooh Beatz (Jack Harlow, DaBaby). On the track, you can hear Headie continue to tell tales inspired by his past, rapping: “Sometimes you gotta lose the battle, just so you can win the war / You gotta go back and forth, from the court to the roads to the court.”
The lyrics also see Stormzy give a brief update on his next album: “I just laugh when they say that I can’t go higher, I’m a frequent flyer / My last album’s cold but my new one’s fire, I might call it ‘Maya’” – referring to his longtime girlfriend, presenter Maya Jama.
“This is one of my favourites from the album,” Headie One said about ‘Cry No More’. “I loved the sample and 808s straight away when Tay and Pooh played it in the studio. Stormzy went crazy on it too.”
The song’s accompanying music video – directed by RAWTAPE – showcases both artists in their hometowns of Norbury and Tottenham, giving an honest portrayal of the London they grew up in.
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“The video concept was to show people that everyone has struggles they have to deal with daily,” said Headie One. That’s no different to Stormzy and me, regardless of what people think we’ve achieved in our careers. We still have things in life we have to deal with like everyone else.”
Headie One’s next album ‘The Last One’ will be out this summer. It will serve as the follow-up to Headie’s 2020 album ‘Edna’, which made history as the first drill album to top the UK album charts. In a four-star review, NME wrote: “‘Edna’ is proof that he’s the unmistakable, global ‘King of drill’, and much more besides.”
According to a press release, the 29-year-old’s new album will continue the narrative that he initiated on his 2018 ‘The One’ mixtape, bringing it up to the present day. Headie aimed “to dig deeper” on the record, covering themes ranging “from pain and regret to progression” – marking a fresh beginning for himself.
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‘The Last One’ will be released this June via Columbia Records. You can pre-save or pre-order the album here.
In other news, Stormzy released his third studio album ‘This Is What I Mean’ in November 2022, and with the rapper currently working on new music.
NME awarded ‘This Is What I Mean’ four stars, saying the project shows “a reflective, suave and more melodic-than-ever Stormzy pour his heart out on record… letting his listeners in like never before.”