Own It
by Stormzy (featuring Ed Sheeran & Burna Boy)

Album: Heavy Is the Head (2019)
Charted: 1
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Songfacts®:

  • Stormzy kicks off "Own It" with some flirty rhymes addressed to a girl who has caught his interest at a party. He is joined by the Nigerian star Burma Boy, who also has a crack at seducing the sexy young lady. The female is well aware of the effect she's having on the guys – she "owns" the situation.
  • Ed Sheeran hops on midway through the track. The English singer seems to have already won the heart of his girl; he sings of chilling with her and sharing kisses.
  • The song is the third collaboration between Stormzy and Sheeran. Back in 2017, the British rapper jumped on a remix of "Shape Of You." A couple of years later, Stormzy assisted Ed Sheeran on his No. 6 Collaborations Project track "Take Me Back To London."

    Stormzy is an artist of Ghanaian descent. This is the first time he has teamed up with fellow West African Burna Boy.
  • Fred Gibson supplied the beat. The English producer worked on a dozen of Sheeran's No. 6 Collaborations Project tracks, including "Take Me To London."
  • Stormzy performed "Own It" live for the first time on December 7, 2019, during his six-song set Jingle Bell Ball at The O2 in London.
  • "Own It" started with Stormzy and Fred Gibson trying to imitate a sound on Kanye West's The Life of Pablo track, "Waves." Then the grime rapper decided he wanted a verse from Sheeran and some additional "flavor, sauce" from Burna Boy.

    Stormzy explained to The Observer that he wanted to make a song that women could put on and feel good about themselves. "Sometimes music can be a bit sexist or like using women as objects," he said. "I was like, no, forget all of that, I want a woman to be able to play this before she's going out for drinks with her girls."
  • The song was Stormzy's third UK chart-topper in the space of 12 months, following "Vossi Bop" and "Take Me Back To London" (with Ed Sheeran).

    The last British rapper to score #1 singles during a 12-month period was Dizzee Rascal, who landed a trio of chart-toppers with "Holiday," "Dirtee Disco" and "Shout For England" between September 2009 and June 2010.
  • "Own It" earned Burna Boy his first UK #1 and Ed Sheeran his ninth in total.

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