Stormzy has just dropped his first solo release in two years, a confident new freestyle titled ‘Sorry Rach!’.
The new song has been accompanied by a video, showing Stormzy performing his boastful bars against a simple red backdrop. He throws some nice brags and flexes within his verses, paired with some faith-based references that he’s delved into before: “I pray for my nemesis / the devil is convincing, I saw it in Genesis / She said, “Do you miss me?” I said that I never miss”
It’s thought that the title could be a reference to either his sister Rachael, who he previously referenced in his song ‘Rachael’s Little Brother’, or his PR Rachel Campbell – listeners are speculating that the small voice-note at the start of the track could be hers.
It’d make sense if it was Stormzy’s PR being referenced in the song, considering his divisive public image after partnering with McDonald’s earlier this year to bring out his own “Stormzy Meal”. He received online backlash for this collaboration, as the BDS (Boycott Divestment & Sanctions movement) had previously called for a global boycott of McDonald’s for their support of Israeli forces in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
The Croydon rapper drops some rhymes responding to the discourse in his new song: “I heard they wanna hang me out to dry for a nugget meal / The world might never love your way again but my mother will”.
Stormzy had previously been vocal in his support for Palestine, sharing a post in October 2023 with a clear stance on the conflict, saying: “I hope everyone is good, some fleeting thoughts.
“1. Free Palestine
“2. In the future, if there is ever a clear injustice in the world, no matter how big or small, 100 times out of 100 I will be on the side of the oppressed. Unequivocally. As I always have been. Social media is a brilliant way to stand up for what is right, there are also a whole load of other ways to do this.”
But fans noted that this post was removed from Instagram after announcing his partnership with McDonalds. Sources close to Stormzy claim that any rumours that the removal of his post are linked to his business with McDonald’s are “simply not true”.
The release of ‘Sorry Rach!’ marks the first solo release from Stormzy since his soul/R&B-influenced album ‘This Is What I Mean’ was released in November 2022. Since then, he’s also appeared as a featuring artist in collaborations including ‘Backbone’ with Chase & Status and ‘The Weekend’ with RAYE.
Back in March, Stormzy won a Brit Award in the fan-voted ‘Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act’ category, beating out the likes of Central Cee and Little Simz. You can read our coverage on the 2025 award show here.
