Stormzy, Stormzy, Stormzy! Y'all knew he was going to make the list right? Before I listened to the album I wouldn't have been so sure. Of course I'd heard the singles like "Shut Up", "Wicked Skengman 4", and "Know Me From" but just listening to those singles wouldn't have been enough for me. However, after just the first listen I was sold. If you hadn't already guessed, in at number 14 is Stormzy with Gang Signs And Prayer.

The versatility of this album is probably what shocked me most. For an artist whom many now seem to consider as the embodiment of UK Grime; it's crazy how overlooked his contribution to Gospel, Pop and even R&B are on this album. From beginning to end this album had me raising my eyebrows - from the intricate bars on "First Things First" to the vocals on "Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2 (feat. MNEK)". To this day "Cold" is possibly one of my favourite tracks of the year. Not even necessarily the best track on the album but a favourite of mine nonetheless. Alongside that, current favourites are "Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2", "Return Of The Rucksack", "Don't Cry For Me (feat. Raleigh Ritchie)". Each showing off diverse high points of Stormzy's repertoire, but each with room for live development. The same can be said for the entire album - very solid but I see a lot of room for growth in the follow up.

Stormzy's success this year has been colossal and widespread, and whilst a part of me wants to say it's a little too much hype, after seeing him live quite a bit these past few months and listening through his album several times since its release, I can't help but feel like the hype is warranted. Aside from being a quality character, he's a phenomenal performer and a humble newcomer. A recipe for success. I'm more than excited for what's to come.

When I made the list of shows I had coming up this year, this one alongside the few summer festivals I have coming up (stay tuned) were at the very top. Little Simz continues to blow me away, musically and just in general as a human being. Boasting two independently released albums, a plethora of features/collaborations, and just twenty three years of age; she's now here to blow London of its feet with her own mini-festival. Mind boggling doesn't even cut it!

First up for me was Tiffany Gouché. I had a listen to her record Pillow Talk before going. Her sensual jazzy vibes definitely piqued my interest on that and watching her perform firmly cemented that interest. As it was one of the earlier performances, at first she came on stage to a noisy crowd, chatting amongst themselves but once she started singing, she quickly captured the room's attention. Despite minor technical difficulties, Tiffany managed to play a set that I'm sure stayed fresh in people's minds long after the evening was over.

Next up, Sipprell. Probably the newcomer that I was most excited to see. After checking out her EP Letter D and her single "Journey" I was 100% sold. If you don't know her yet, please don't hesitate to check out her stuff. Lovely, lovely voice. The only shame about this performance was that because of where the stage was placed, it was hard to get a good view if you weren't right at the front and it was also hard to hear everything as the surrounding sounds interfered. A real shame, but the parts of the set I did catch were impressive and I'm very sure I'll be seeing her around in the future.

Afterwards, up on the same stage, were Space Age. Anyone who knows about Little Simz and her crew, knows that their talents are most certainly not restricted to music. The collective also showcased own-brand clothing for sale on the night, and although the space in the Roundhouse wasn't the biggest to work with for a multi-stage mini-fest, they used the space well. Despite the issues I had with the staging, they really showed that the phrase "iron sharpens iron" is true. You can tell that as a collective (Simz included) they all came up together and although each creatively different, each shone the same light.

Back to the main stage to post up for Mick Jenkins. What a guy! By the time his set finished up I was really thinking "Man, if I didn't know any better I could've thought this was his headline show" - if only I realised what was to come. As expected he played jams from his latest record The Healing Component. I shouldn't have been surprised at how many people knew his songs and the lyrics but seeing him take over the room like that, made me have a much higher appreciation for not just his music but also for him as a performer. If you're not already familiar with his work I would definitely recommend checking him out. He's over on UK/EU shores quite a few times this summer so if you're heading to a summer festival, be sure to look out for his name.

Now - Little Simz. I was not ready!!! After watching her at Reading Fest last year performing with just a DJ, in front of about 50/60 people the juxtaposition of seeing her kitted out with a full band playing to thousands of people hanging onto her every word, every movement. It was a complete 180. Playing songs mostly from her latest release Stillness In Wonderland, Simbi was enjoying each song just as much as we were. Of course it wouldn't be a Simz show without an appearance from some friends - Space Age popped up on stage to drop some more bars, and during her hit "King Of Hearts" leading onto "Dead Body" we welcomed to the stage Chip, Ghetts, Stormzy and then Kano. The crowd was absolutely beside themselves! The word "reload" was being thrown around all over the place! This evening lit a fire under everybody in attendance. Particularly creatives - after speaking to a few people afterwards, many said that this show gave them an extra spurt of energy, inspiration and hope. Little Simz, smashed it and the maddest thing is, I don't even think that's half of what she has to bring to the table. All I can say is watch this space very, very closely.

Overall rating - 9/10


Here are some pictures from the night...