Entertainment

Stormzy to close BBC One's Christmas Day special


British rapper Stormzy performing on the Pyramid Stage on the third day of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm near the village of Pilton in Somerset, South West England, on June 28, 2019. ― AFP pic
British rapper Stormzy performing on the Pyramid Stage on the third day of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm near the village of Pilton in Somerset, South West England, on June 28, 2019. ― AFP pic

LONDON, Dec 20 ― The grime star will wind down BBC One’s Christmas Day programming by reciting a passage from the gospel of Luke at 11.50pm (UTC).

Stormzy will be the latest star to tell the nativity story in which angels appear to shepherds to proclaim the birth of Jesus, following in the footsteps of British actors Don Warrington, Colin Salmon and Letitia Wright.

The Bible reading will be followed by a performance of the Basque carol Sing Lullaby by boys’ choir Libera, which is composed of students aged between seven and 16 attending local schools throughout South London.

“Stormzy has consistently celebrated his faith and spirituality through his music and we are hugely excited that he is bringing Christmas day to a close on BBC One with his reading from St Luke’s Gospel,” Daisy Scalchi, a BBC commissioning editor, said in a statement.

The 26-year-old rapper, who is a devout Christian, has often alluded to his faith in his music.

He explicitly referred to his religion in Blinded by Your Grace from his 2017 debut Gang Signs & Prayer, in which he confesses “Lord, I’ve been broken/Although I’m not worthy/You fixed me, now I’m blinded by your grace.”

At the time, Stormzy opened up to the Fader about the inspiration behind the two-part introspective song, pointing out that his faith is “so integral to [his] character.”

 

“You know when you’re watching churches, and a lady or a man in the choir just takes it away, and it’s just like, ‘Flipping heck,’ and everyone just feels it in their soul? I was like, ‘I want someone to do that. I want someone to come and take this tune where I can’t take it,’“ he explained.

In addition to closing BBC One’s Christmas Day programming, Stormzy released his sophomore album, Heavy is the Head, earlier this December.

For his latest studio opus, the reigning grime king notably collaborated with YEBBA, H.E.R, Aitch, Headie One as well as Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran.

As the Guardian reported, Apple Music recently announced that Heavy is the Head could become one of the most-streamed albums of the year.

“Stormzy’s Heavy is the Head is the fastest-ever pre-added album on Apple Music in the UK to date, as well as the most pre-added album week one on Apple Music in the UK to date,” Apple said in a statement.

Next year, the British MC will tour across the world in support of his sophomore album, including for the first time a month of shows in the United States. ― AFP-Relaxnews





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