THE SECOND COMING OF STORMZY

British rap superstar Stormzy has announced his second album, Heavy Is the Head, which is due out 12/13 on #MERKY Records/Atlantic. Can he compete with Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi to claim the biggest opening sales week in the U.K. of 2019?

Stormzy released his debut, Gang Signs & Prayer, independently in 2017. It topped the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart on nearly 70k combined sales. Since then, he’s signed with Atlantic and increased his cultural cache with a Glastonbury headlining slot, and won multiple awards including two BRITs and one Ivor Novello. The first single from Heavy Is the Head, “Vossi Bop,” reached #1 in the U.K. in May on 94k combined sales and broke the record for the biggest week one streams for a British rapper with more than 12.7m.

This year’s fastest selling album is currently claimed by labelmate Sheeran, whose No.6 Collaborations Project shifted 125k combined sales first week in July. Virgin EMI breakthrough Lewis Capaldi claims the second with his debut, Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, shifting nearly 90k in May.

The 16-track Heavy is the Head features guest vocals from Aitch, Burna Boy, Ed Sheeran, Headie One, H.E.R., Tiana Major9 and YEBBA with production from Fred Gibson, Fraser T Smith, T-Minus and others.