"Wiley Flow" is a song by English rapper Stormzy, released on 15 September 2019 through #Merky and Atlantic Records as the third single from his second studio album, Heavy Is the Head. The song is a homage to British grime MC Wiley that interpolates flows from his tracks "Bad 'Em Up" and "Nightbus Dubplate".[1] The cover art also mirrors his mixtape, Tunnel Vision Vol 1 (2007).[2]
| "Wiley Flow" | ||||
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| Single by Stormzy | ||||
| from the album Heavy Is the Head | ||||
| Released | 15 September 2019 | |||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
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| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Stormzy singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Wiley Flow" on YouTube | ||||
Critical reception edit
Writing for Fact, Henry Bruce-Jones called it a salute to the "godfather of grime" on which Stormzy "cribs flows" from Wiley and "go[es] in on" over a "murky instrumental".[1] Karen Gwee of NME labelled it "hard-hitting",[3] while Sajae Elder of The Fader described it as Stormzy "racing through a series of number and OG checks ("If you can't do 10K first week then I don't wanna hear no chat about numbers')".[4]
Music video edit
The music video features Stormzy rapping the song while "surrounded by his friends in a gloomy basement".[3]
Charts edit
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[5] | 30 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[6] | 21 |
| Scotland (OCC)[7] | 59 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[8] | 22 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[9] | 25 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[10] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ a b Bruce-Jones, Henry (16 September 2019). "Stormzy salutes the grandfather of grime on 'Wiley Flow'". Fact. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- ^ "Stormzy Pays Homage To Wiley With Merky New Track "Wiley Flow"". trenchtrenchtrench.com. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- ^ a b Gwee, Karen (16 September 2019). "Hear Stormzy's hard-hitting new track, 'Wiley Flow'". NME. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- ^ Elder, Sajae (15 September 2019). "Stormzy drops 'Wiley Flow'". The Fader. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- ^ "British single certifications – Stormzy – Wiley Flow". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
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