Stormzy came to the UAE on Friday to pick up where he left off.
Seventeen months after a set at the Redfest DXB festival in Dubai, the British grime rapper headlined the second of the four Abu Dhabi F1 after-race concerts at Etihad Park.
“I have been looking for this show for so long,” Stormzy said.
“It has been a long time since I have been on stage like this … let's make this a great memory for us with dance, vibes and energy.”
Friday's concert is only his third of the year and follows back-to-back shows at the Reading and Leeds music festivals in Britain.
So, did he appear rusty?
While his trademark ferocious energy may have seemed a little tempered, there was no doubt about the genuine enthusiasm exhibited on stage.
Simply put: the man is happy to be back at work.
With a DJ in the background and the venue brought to life with evocative lightning and high-tech visuals, Stormzy pounced on stage to the imperial-sounding horn blasts of opener Big Michael, a strident motivational anthem fit for these times.
Then came Audacity, another bouncy number packed with frenzied keyboards and a stuttering beat to showcase Stormzy's impressively nimble flow.
The energy grew further with Cold and First Things First, both of which benefited from swaggering synth lines and heaving percussion before Stormzy eventually slowed it down gracefully with the one-two punch of Crown and Own It.
Taken from his latest album Heavy is the Head, both tracks epitomise the blend of gruff lyricism, pop hooks and soulful instrumentation responsible for his crossover from club act to festival headliner.
The Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix after-race concerts continue with Grammy-nominated artist Lewis Capaldi performing on Saturday before rock titans and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Foo Fighters conclude the series on Sunday.
More information on all the Yasalam After-Race Concerts is available at yasmarinacircuit.com
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Book%20Details
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Scores
Day 2
New Zealand 153 & 56-1
Pakistan 227
New Zealand trail by 18 runs with nine wickets remaining
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Apple product price list
iPad Pro
11" - $799 (64GB)
12.9" - $999 (64GB)
MacBook Air
$1,199
Mac Mini
$799
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm
Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
Price: From Dh139,995
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
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Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
