Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Entertainment

STORMZY: I became depressed and withdrawn while making my debut album

STORMZY has admitted he became “depressed and withdrawn” while making his debut album, which he described as a “super heavy” experience.

The rapper opened up to Louis Theroux about issues including his childhood, dating life, faith and the strained relationship with his father.

The pair met during the first episode of the documentarian’s new BBC Two series, Louis Theroux Interviews, which aired on Tuesday.

Speaking about the production of his first studio album Gang Signs and Prayer, released in 2017, the 29-year-old said it had been “difficult to handle” balancing both his personal and professional life.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

“I came into music when I was 19 or 20 and I’m becoming a man, I’m growing,” he said.

“I’m going on my journey as a man and I’m also trying to figure out how to be the greatest artist.

“(I’m) also in a relationship…and I’m also being a family man, a son, a provider and I’m also trying to provide and lead in my community, my people.

“It was very overwhelming and difficult to handle all of those things while I was making an album.

“I would often just crash out, or get super depressed or super withdrawn or super reclusive and disappear.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

“I would just stay at home and smoke a lot of weed. It was just a feeling, overwhelmingly, of ‘I actually can’t handle this’ which was also a new feeling to me because I was always a very capable child.

“I would break down, it was super heavy.”

Stormzy revealed that, growing up, he had been stabbed twice and admitted he had not fully considered the ramifications of losing multiple friends to violence at a young age.

“(These) things are easy to discuss from the suburbs, from my sofa…but it’s still people’s lives and realities,” he told Theroux.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

The pair later discussed the year 2019, in which Stormzy enjoyed critical acclaim for his second album Heavy Is The Head and his historic headline performance at Glastonbury festival.

He also addressed his split with newly announced Love Island host Maya Jama, saying he had made “mistakes” during the relationship.

He described break-ups as the “biggest catalyst for growth” as well as “the biggest loss a man can have”.

Stormzy discussed the anger he had felt towards his father, who had left his mother and started a new family before approaching him to ask for favours following his success, but said he now took a more forgiving perspective.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

“I know he’s sorry. I’m going to speak to him,” he said.

As the series continues Theroux is also set to get up close and personal with other big names in the entertainment industry, including Dame Judi Dench, Rita Ora and Bear Grylls.

The episode with Stormzy comes ahead of the release of the rapper’s new album, This Is What I Mean, due on November 25.

It comes three years after Heavy Is The Head, and follows the release of the hit single Mel Made Me Do It last month.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

That song came with an accompanying 10-minute, cameo-packed music video which featured Theroux, among other famous faces.

Stormzy has described the recording of his new album as “wholesome fun” and said there was no “partying with girls and booze”.

DON'T MISS

Entertainment

NATIONAL treasure Alison Hammond is set to replace Phillip Schofield for a week on This Morning in a “trial run” from Monday.  Fan favourite...

CELEBITE

NOEL Gallagher has revealed his new single is inspired by fans who camp outside his hotel and sing the wrong lyrics to his music. ...

MUSIC

NOEL Gallagher has said Liam should call him to discuss an Oasis reunion. Noel, 55 insists his brother Liam Gallagher just has to “get...

CELEBITE

ALISON Hammond has reportedly been the victim of a sinister blackmail plot and has called in the police. The 48-year-old This Morning star who...

Advertisement