Grime star Stormzy teamed up on stage with pop singer Harry Styles, formerly of One Direction fame, for a performance of his hit track “Vossi Bop” at a recent London gig.
Video footage posted on social media by attending fans showed Styles in sync with the rapper as they urged the audience to chant the lyrics:
“F*** the government and f*** Boris.”
The show was hosted by the Electric Ballroom in Camden, to celebrate the release of Styles’ new album Fine Line.
Many netizens tweeted their appreciation of the event and the performance.
Some fans posted sarcastic comments.
Other fans posted comments that related more to the political undercurrent of the lyrics and referenced the recently held general election in the UK, where the Conservative Party has claimed an impressive victory.
Other social media fans seemed to have little faith in the “rebellion” the artists were supposedly portraying, with fans who thought the opposite entering a heated debate with them.
Both Brits had something to celebrate, as Styles shared his second album, while Stormzy dropped Heavy is the Head, the follow-up to his 2017 debut Gang Signs & Prayer.
Both albums have generated positive reviews from critics, with the Independent lauding Harry Styles, who “expands on the languorous guitar rock that has been Styles’ currency since he left One Direction, with copious charm and flickers of ingenuity”.
The Independent’s review of Michael Omari Jr, aka Stormzy’s, Heavy is the Head, praised the Brit rapper for being “keen to test himself emotionally, as well as artistically”.