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.

We've reached that time of the year! Alongside the "BBC Sound Of" shortlist, the Mercury Prize shortlist is just as, if not more indicative of how UK music is going currently and what music is set to look like in the near future. After brushing up on the nominees' albums these past few days, I have some thoughts on the 2017 shortlist...

ALT-J - Relaxer
I've got to be honest - I didn't even realise that this was a full length album until this shortlist was released. I thought it was intended to be an EP. Regardless, at first I didn't know if this should've made the list. It's definitely a very solid album but nothing about it really jumped out at me as overly innovative or different, and no song in particular stuck mind like other albums this year have. Although after listening back over these past couple of days, songs like "In Cold Blood", "Hit Me Like That Snare" and "Adeline" make me want to change my mind. Strong entry from alt-J here.  

THE BIG MOON - Love In The 4th Dimension 
I actually recently shazam'd their song "Cupid" after it caught my attention on a drive, and now that I've listened to the entire album it only cements their place on the list. Even minutes into the album on the opener "Sucker" I was already kicking myself for not having listened sooner. I can already see The Big Moon quickly rising up the festival rosters after this strong debut and although they may not win the Mercury, I'm sure that if they keep putting out awesome material like this, they'll soon have a few awards in tow.

BLOSSOMS - Blossoms
Another band that I can see being a big hit at festivals in the near future. Although a little more retro in their sound, their music has the same punch. The only thing that I found myself wishing for after listening to the record, was for them to have a bit more of a striking sound. If I'd have heard their music come on in a shop for example, there's not much that I could draw on to come to the conclusion that it was Blossoms. They sound very good just not very different. Overall, I'm not mad about this nomination though.

LOYLE CARNER - Yesterday's Gone
I was really excited to see Loyle up for a nomination. I hadn't expected it but I completely understood it. After hearing his first singles and seeing him live a couple of time I was convinced that I'd heard just about everything of concern from Loyle. Boy was I wrong. This debut very pleasantly surprised me and as well as staying true himself and producing content that showcases his life, personality and surroundings perfectly; he's given the public something accessible and enjoyable. Very worthy of the nomination.

DINOSAUR - Together, As One
Loving this new discovery. It's not too often that I listen to full instrumental albums but I've been thinking about it a lot more recently after making my way through some of Lettuce's catalogue. Dinosaur might just be a new favourite. They don't have as much exposure as most of the other atists on the list but music is music and this is good quality. Even if they don't win, it'll be great to see them garner some more new fans from this nomination.

GLASS ANIMALS - How To Be A Human Being
So, so happy that this made the list this year. Ever since their debut I've been smitten with their work, at first even thinking that Glass Animals were my "replacement" for alt-J after being underwhelmed by their second album. So the fact that this sophomore even managed to top the last record only cemented my feelings for their work as a band. This latest album is interesting, diverse and overall fun. I hope to hear more from them over the years but despite how much I enjoy their music, I'm not sure if this will take the prize this year.

ED SHEERAN - Divide
I definitely wasn't surprised to see this one here given all of the records it broke and all of the money it made, but seeing as Mercury prides itself on choosing albums entirerly based on quality I didn't think that Divide was quite good enough to fit the bill. Sure the songs were cool and catchy but something about it was a bit too simple for me and I still don't think it lived up to the hype surrounding it. Again, I wouldn't be surprised if this won the award given its' current success, but I think I'd be disappointed.

SAMPHA - Process
I've already spoken about how much I enjoyed this album in my review here and so of course I was not at all surprised to see Sampha's name on this year's shortlist. Given the work he's put out prior to this and also surrounding this I'd say he's a strong contender for the winning spot this year. Process provided a couple of my favourite songs this year so far and Sampha even featured on a track from my favourite album of last year. If I were a betting person, I'd take this one into serious consideration.

J HUS - Common Sense
YES! I'm buzzing that this made the list as I'd expected Stormzy to be on there and just figured that he'd be flying the flag for Grime this year, but very happy to have J Hus alongside him, on the back of a very solid album. J Hus really put out an album for the people with this new one and as well as giving us witty bars and radio bangers we also have a strong message and an album that I suspect people will be spinning for a long while.

KATE TEMPEST - Let Them Eat Chaos
I'm shocked at just how many times I've heard this name mentioned and just how many chances I've had to see her live and yet, until yesterday, I'd not heard one song from her. Yep, I missed the boat on this one but now that I've jumped on the bandwagon, I think it's an acquired taste but it's so unique right now. It's strength definitely relies on Kate's incredible lyricism but the instrumentals are a little bit take it or leave it for me at the moment. I'm definitely glad that I've finally had a listen and started to form an opinion. Also probably my favourite album title of the bunch.

STORMZY - Gang Signs And Prayer
Another album that I'd have near the top of my list to make bets on would be this debut masterpiece from Stormzy. This record took the world by storm (pun intended) and hasn't let off the gas since. Currently touring in Australia, everywhere he goes Stormzy is drawing in bucket loads of fans and making more along the way. This album coupled with his lovable character helped to make this one of the most exciting records to come out this year and it being his debut only makes it that much more impressive.

THE XX - I See You 
Similarly to alt-J, I was disappointed The xx's second album after such a stellar (Mercury Prize winning) debut album. Now they're back on the list with this collection of absolute bangers, and after seeing them live at Primavera Sound Festival this year, it's only heightened my appreciation for the album. "Dangerous" is still one of the only album openers this year to make me press repeat straight after first listen. As well as keeping their signature sound, The xx have pointed themselves in a new direction and an outstanding one at that. Could this be a second Mercury win for them?

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...