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Skepta Blends Grime, Drum and Bass, and Britpop Nostalgia on “Innocent Smile”
Skepta has spent the last few years drifting toward DJ booths and house music, so “Innocent Smile” feels almost like a returning fire: a proper verse-driven Skepta rap record, just filtered through a completely unexpected lens.
The single pulls together three very different corners of British music. Suggs, frontman of ska legends Madness, handles the hook, drum-and-bass duo Chase & Status co-produce the instrumental, and Skepta himself takes the verses, opening with a nod to one of Britpop’s most recognizable phrases before pivoting into commentary on misinformation and media manipulation. It sounds like it shouldn’t hold together, and for the first stretch of the track, it almost doesn’t, before the breakbeat kicks fully into gear and the whole thing clicks.
The song previews Fork and Knife, what would be Skepta’s first solo studio album since 2019’s Ignorance Is Bliss, following a stretch where he leaned heavily into electronic collaboration, including a widely praised EP with Fred again.. and a DJ residency at his own Más Tiempo nights. Rather than abandoning that club-facing direction for the new album, Skepta appears to be folding it directly into his rap identity, pulling from grime, garage, house, jungle, and rave in equal measure.
The rollout has had a physical component too. Skepta debuted “Innocent Smile” live at Reading Festival back in August, weeks before the studio version arrived, giving festival crowds first crack at a song built explicitly with big stages in mind. The Aidan Zamiri-directed video leans into that same maximalist energy, drawing on British cultural imagery from the 2000s to match the track’s confident, slightly chaotic swagger.
MusicPorta says: Skepta takes a genuine risk pairing ska, drum and bass, and grime on “Innocent Smile,” and the gamble mostly pays off, the track building from an awkward opening into something that genuinely earns its festival ambitions. It’s a strong, unpredictable signal for what Fork and Knife might sound like.
MusicPorta Rating: ★★★★★
“Innocent Smile” is an exciting track with captivating energy, impressive delivery, and a memorable sound. Make sure you listen to this impressive song and add it to your playlist today.
“Innocent Smile” By “Skepta feat. Chase & Status and Suggs” BELOW
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