Album Review: Ignorance Is Bliss by Skepta

Skepta is a British singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer from North London. Ignorance Is Bliss is his fifth studio album and was released on May 31, 2019.

The first track from the album, Bullet From A Gun, was the second single released from his album. Skepta albums normally don’t have an introduction track, he just opens the album up and gets straight to the point. However, Skepta said that he felt an introduction track was needed for this album. In the chorus of the song, he describes heartbreak as being shot from a gun. The chorus of the song could refer to this ex-girlfriend. He realized that she was just using him and it hurt him, just like someone who was shot with a gun.

The next track, Greaze Mode, was another single that was released before the album dropped. The chorus of the track features another British artist, Nate Smallz. Moving on from the last track, you can tell that Skepta is over his ex-girlfriend and he’s ready to move on. Now that he’s single, he’s able to be with almost anyone that he wants.

The third track, Redrum, is your typical trap-style beat with a hard-hitting bass. In the chorus of the song, he talks about how he’ll slap it like Ike Turner. Since this is a banger, this could be a reference that he’ll go hard on this track. He definitely shows us that he is capable of doing so during the track.

No Sleep is the next track off the album and it describes the lifestyle of a millionaire. People want to grind and put in the work to make a lot of money. However, Skepta points out that a lot of these people that become a millionaire eventually go broke. A lot of people might have a quick second of fame, but if they aren’t smart with their money or business tactics, they can lose all of their money/income in a blink of a second. It can also mean that riches and fame can get people stuck in addiction.

Next up, we have, What Do You Mean? J Hus is another important image in the British music scene, and he was given an amazing chorus in this song. During the track, Skepta raps about how he hustles and how he is able to get all of this money.

Going Through It is where Skepta talks about some of the stress he has going on in his life. There are several topics he talks about in the song such as the hate he gets with fame. In the second verse, he said that he wanted to change the world. However, his haters are getting in the way. Then, in the third verse, it seems like he is surrounded by friends, but they don’t see the pain that he has been going through.

In Same Old Story, he is talking about his past relationship which did not work out. This is how a lot of relationships work out. He says how his ex-girlfriend was talking about spending their life together one week. Then, the next week, she decides to leave or doesn’t want to talk to that person. Also, he said he doesn’t want her back because it would be like an episode of Maury. To say that Maury is drama-filled is an understatement. If Skepta forgets about his ex-girlfriend, it will be less stressful.

Love Me Not is another track that covers the topic of love. In this track, Skepta thinks that this girl he is talking to doesn’t really love him. If you are a famous figure in society, you will find that there are some people who will only want you for your money. Skepta thinks that she is a gold digger and doesn’t really love him. Cheb Rabi has a beautifully sung chorus and at the end of the chorus, he said that this girl showed him her dark side. That dark side led to them breaking up.

Animal Instinct is the ninth track from the album. This is another track with a hard-hitting bass. There are several topics that are discussed on the track, such as Skepta’s ex-girlfriend, racism, and the government in the UK.

Just like the last track, Glow In The Dark continues to talk about the topic of racism. Even though there is some hate within the community, he still “glows in the dark,” which means they are better than the racists.

You Wish goes back to the topic of his haters. He’s basically showing off to all of his haters and showing them that he made it big. Even though he has haters, he is able to go past them and continue to make a lot of money.

Gangsta talks about all the posers out there that are trying to be gangsta. Skepta sees through all of these people that are putting on act. He sees that they might dress the part or try to act the part, but they have never experienced any struggle in their lives. Skepta and the other people on the track are just taking shots at these people trying to pretend.

Pure Water is the last track off of the album and was the first single released from this album. In this track, Skepta brags about having a lot of money as well as all the ladies loving him. This was a hard-hitting banger that brought an end to the album.

If you would like to purchase the digital album or vinyl, click one of the links below!

What did you think of the album? What were some of your favorite tracks? Let me know down in the comments!

Rating: 7/10

Favorite Tracks: Greaze Mode, Redrum, Pure Water