"Mel Made Me Do It" is a song by English rapper Stormzy, released as a single on 23 September 2022 through 0207 Def Jam and #Merky.[1] It contains guest appearances from Jamaican musician Stylo G and English actress Michaela Coel. The song, Stormzy's longest at the time, was written by him and producer Knox Brown. It was released alongside its 11-minute music video, which includes a variety of cameo appearances from Usain Bolt and Louis Theroux amongst others.
| "Mel Made Me Do It" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Stormzy | ||||
| Released | 23 September 2022 | |||
| Length | 7:20 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Knox Brown | |||
| Stormzy singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Mel Made Me Do It" on YouTube | ||||
Content
editThe song includes a guest appearance by Stylo G and a monologue performed by Michaela Coel that was written by Wretch 32. It is named for Stormzy's personal stylist Melissa's Wardrobe and her "direct influence" on him.[2]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian |   [3] |
Will Pritchard of The Guardian felt the track contains "boastful, whip-smart wordplay" and "slot[s] somewhere in the chasm" between Stormzy's modes of "choral, heaving and heartfelt" and "puff-chested flexing", ultimately describing it as a "testament to Stormzy's magnetism".[3] Ellie Robinson of NME wrote that the song "stands out with its minimalistic, progressive instrumental, buzzing along with sharp 808 beats and modulated string-work" accompanying "Stormzy's vicious flow".[1]
Music video
editThe song's music video, released alongside the song, was directed by KLVDR and includes cameo appearances from Usain Bolt, Jonathan Ross, Louis Theroux, José Mourinho,[4] Dave, Little Simz, Dina Asher-Smith, Headie One, Gabrielle, Ian Wright, Brenda Edwards, Stylo G, Trevor Nelson, Jme, Julie Adenuga, Walé Adeyemi and Stormzy's family, among others.[2][1][5]
Charts
edit| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[6] | 25 |
| Netherlands (Single Tip)[7] | 17 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[8] | 7 |
| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[9] | 18 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 12 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[11] | 5 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Robinson, Ellie (23 September 2022). "Stormzy returns with epic new single 'Mel Made Me Do It', cameo-packed video". NME. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ a b Brodsky, Rachel (22 September 2022). "Stormzy – 'Mel Made Me Do It'". Stereogum. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ a b Pritchard, Will (23 September 2022). "Stormzy: Mel Made Me Do It review – boastful, whip-smart wordplay that makes it look easy". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ Arcand, Rob (22 September 2022). "Stormzy Shares Video for New Song "Mel Made Me Do It": Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ "Inside Stormzy's star-studded 'Mel Made Me Do It' music video & lyrics". Capital. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
- ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ "Dutch Single Tip 01/10/2022". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
- ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 39". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 September 2022.