He started his set in a stab-proof vest bearing a Union Jack flag — a likely nod to the knife crime epidemic that has plagued British streets in recent years.
The 25-year-old became the second-youngest headliner, after a 24-year-old David Bowie played the festival in Somerset, western England, in 1971. He also shone a spotlight on the proportion of Britain’s incarcerated population that is black, sampling a speech by Labour politician David Lammy and flashing statistics on the screen behind him.
“Humbled and inspired that he sampled my speech,” Lammy wrote on Twitter in response, along with a video of the moment.
Stormzy also invited a black ballet dancer onstage, while highlighting that ballet shoes have only recently become available in skin tones other than white.
And during his new single “Vossi Bop,” he allowed the thousands-strong crowd to gleefully sing the most political line: “F— the government and f— Boris” in a reference to the front-runner in the race to be the next Prime Minister.
The set was the culmination of a stratospheric rise for Stormzy, who has propelled grime music — a genre which emerged from the jungle and garage scene in economically marginalized parts in London at the turn of the century — comfortably into the mainstream in the UK and beyond.
His debut album, “Gang Signs & Prayer,” became the first grime work to top the UK album charts, and it won him Brit and MOBO awards and numerous other nominations.
Music stars including Drake and Adele, and politicians including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, were quick to congratulate the star on his milestone performance.
“I’m so proud of him, Stormzy just monumentally headlined Glastonbury in his own right with one album,” Adele wrote on Instagram. “I have love in abundance for this strong, sweet and honest man,” added the singer, who headlined the festival in 2016.
“@Stormzy headlining Glastonbury and that. Madness congrats,” Drake added on Instagram.
The star performed his biggest hits throughout, bringing out Coldplay frontman Chris Martin for a performance of “Blinded By Your Grace Part One” and mixing in a cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You.”
He closed with the second part of the ballad “Blinded By Your Grace” and his most-popular single, “Big For Your Boots.”
A video of a sign language interpreter working during his set went viral shortly afterwards, as users flocked to social media to comment on Stormzy’s performance.
Source : Nbcnewyork