On Thursday (June 22), Stormzy returned with a new visual for “Toxic Trait,” an infectious offering that features Fredo and boasts production from Dave. The drill-inspired cut sees the South London talent admitting certain flaws while reminding listeners of his ongoing success.
“Still gonna take these pics and smile, what I pay for the kitchen towel, careful, my bro, that’s an AP ashtray, man’s gotta ash this spliff in style, call me Big Michael, Muhammad Ali, they were gassed up, now they’re runnin’ on E, I’ve been outside, since summer ’03, now my new girl’s got more money than me, what’s my toxic trait? If I see a boy with the same kettle as me, then I toss that thing in the safe, won’t wear it again, ’cause you made it bait… Tell Greta to ‘llow me, I know that my carbon footprint’s large…”
The Femi Ladi-directed video goes the creative route by showing different variations of Stormzy bringing his lyrics to life. Fredo eventually joins his peer following a humorous therapy session interlude. Cameos from the likes of Alison Hammond and Ivorian Doll can also be spotted throughout.
“Toxic Trait” is the first official drop from Stormzy since his third studio LP, This Is What I Mean, which made landfall back in November 2022. That body of work consisted of 12 tracks and additional features from Sampha, Black Sherif, Amaarae, Ms Banks, Ayra Starr, and more. The project was notable for its more experimental content, as Stormzy utilized gospel, R&B, and other genres for the majority of the release. Ultimately, that departure proved to be a success, as This Is What I Mean both landed the artist his third consecutive No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart and earned a silver certification. Press play on “Toxic Trait” below.