Stormzy returns with new song ‘Mel Made Me Do It’
The rapper's first solo outing in nearly three years arrives with a cameo packed music video featuring Louis Theroux, Dave, Little Simz and more
Stormzy has returned with new song ‘Mel Made Me Do It’, his first solo release in nearly three years.
The epic, seven-minute saga features a guest verse from Stylo G and sees the UK rapper basking in his legend status, arriving with an 11-minute video stacked with cameos from the likes of Dave, Little Simz, Usain Bolt, Louis Theroux, Headie One, Malorie Blackman and more.
“I’ve been the goat for so long I guess it’s not exciting when I win,” he raps in the opening verse, later flexing that he’ll “do the most“, from jetting to Cannes Film Festival to headlining Reading and Leeds “like it’s easy“.
Listen to the ‘Mel Made Me Do It’ and watch the music video below.
The music video also features a powerful monologue celebrating Black talent, penned by Wretch 32 and narrated by I May Destroy You creator Michaela Coel. “Today we speak about foundation,” she says. “Many Black, influential giants have touched people from soul to soul throughout many generations.”
The music video, directed by KLVDR, features more than 35 cameos including influential Black figures like Ian Wright and Trevor Nelson, as well as a tribute to the late SB.TV founder Jamal Edwards.
A skit also shows Usain Bolt watching Stormzy, Louis Theroux, and Dina Asher-Smith on The Jonathan Ross Show, while José Mourinho also briefly features to recite his much-memed “I prefer not to speak” quote.
The song’s title is a “direct reference to the influence” of Stormzy’s “longtime personal stylist, Melissa’s Wardrobe”, according to a press release.
‘Mel Made Me Do It’ could feature on Stormzy’s upcoming third album, which he said is due to arrive at the end of this year.
The rapper revealed the news at the first night of his ‘Heavy is the Head’ UK tour, which kicked off in Cardiff, Wales earlier this year.
His last album, Heavy Is The Head, came out in 2019, the follow-up to his acclaimed 2017 debut Gang Signs & Prayer.
This summer, Stormzy made his debut headline performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, where he performed a soulful cover of Ryan Ofei’s ‘Jehova’ for the first time.
This year also saw the rapper make his Met Gala debut, and was also awarded an honorary degree from the University of Exeter in June.