A king is crowned.
Festival season is very much in full swing, with a host of Irish extravaganzas already underway and several more high profile offerings to come over the next few months.
One such event is Longitude, which takes place next weekend.
There was a recent major change regarding the three-day Marlay Park bash, with originally announced Saturday headliner Chance the Rapper swapped out in favour of the returning Stormzy.
Which, being completely honest here, is a massive upgrade.
Proof of said upgrade, were it needed, arrived in serious style on Friday night as Stormzy ascended to the next level with a phenomenal turn on Glastonbury’s revered Pyramid Stage.
The sense of occasion wasn’t lost on the man himself during the build-up, as he detailed a significant cultural moment hours before his appointment:
https://twitter.com/stormzy/status/1144545171956207616
A lot to live up to, and a lot of pressure on the shoulders, but you really wouldn’t have known that from a performance that instantly felt like an all-timer.
Emerging onstage clad in a bulletproof vest emblazoned with a Punisher-esque spray-painting of the Union Jack, it was immediately clear that Stormzy was going to make a statement.
Across a near-perfectly-judged set – we didn’t really need the Ed Sheeran shout-out, nor the Chris Martin cameo, nice as that was – the 25-year-old lived up to the hype and put ignorant critics in their place while uniting thousands in vivid, honest, thoughtful harmony.
Commanding from the off, Stormzy weaved together his own work along with some clever repurposing – his choir-assisted take on Kanye West’s ‘Ultralight Beam’ was inspired – amidst a dynamic production that both placed him in a solo spotlight and regularly opened up to reveal and welcome a host of musicians and performers.
Despite this very much being his moment, Stormzy also took the time to be generous with his platform, paying respect to those who paved the way for him and listing off a chorus of future stars that will follow.
All that and some incisive social commentary via the medium of ballet.
It really was an incendiary moment in modern music, one that you should seek out if you missed it.
Oh, and Boris Johnson got the very specific recognition that he deserves, too.
As you might anticipate, social media was alive with love, and rightly so.
The crown may prove heavy, but all hail the king.
https://twitter.com/WileyUpdates/status/1144860436317315073
Stormzy the great
— SANTAN (@Santandave1) June 28, 2019
.@stormzy's not forgetting anyone that's paved the way for him and those making the scene so great right now 🔥
A shoutout to 65 artists in total 🙌 #Glastonburyfestival2019 #Glastonbury2019 pic.twitter.com/lrSyBH01kl
— BBC Radio 1Xtra (@1Xtra) June 28, 2019
✊🏿👊🏿 @stormzy using his headline spot at #glastonburyfestival2019 to speak out about the injustice of young black kids being criminalised in a biased and disproportionate justice system. Humbled and inspired that he sampled my speech. Salute #Merky https://t.co/iSG3PMssrd
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 28, 2019
Tonight @Stormzy made history by being the first black solo British headliner at Glastonbury. The performance was political, iconic and the ballet was beautifully powerful. It won't just go down in Glastonbury history – it'll go down in our country's cultural history. #Glasto2019 pic.twitter.com/pmRt5OuqBI
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) June 28, 2019
https://twitter.com/UsmanA__/status/1144736387872243713
https://twitter.com/AustinDarbo/status/1144738568801329152
No idea how it came across on telly but, live, Stormzy’s headline set was an EXTRAORDINARY piece of stagecraft. Like a one-man Olympic opening ceremony. People around the crowd were literally in tears. First black British solo headline act and he totally aced it. JL
— Glastonbury Live (@GlastoLive) June 28, 2019
This man is an icon. Full stop. Made history. Fucking star! You won at life tonight brother. Proud isn’t the word. It was an honour to be a part of such a special moment. Incredible. @stormzy you’re the guy. 👑🌟🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/eELpaTxern
— Jacob Anderson (@jacobanderson) June 29, 2019
How can I be here just watching @stormzy shut it down, just for him to say my name on stage, if I cry 😭 Hailed up the people before and after him, what a legend. 👑❤️
— BIG BANKS (@MsBanks) June 28, 2019
Wow. @stormzy you were made for this. Everyone loves you. That performance was incredible. You are incredible. You made history!! What a moment we just witnessed!!!!!!!!
— 🍟ANNE-MARIE🤠 (@AnneMarie) June 28, 2019
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
