Simple as it may be, “Northampton, yeah man I’m a cobbler” has to be one of my favorite lyrics of the past year or so. Taken from slowthai’s “Gorgeous,” these few words mark the UK musician’s undying loyalty to his hometown, proclaiming himself as a “cobbler” despite the fact that this defies just about every stereotype of what a “cool” rapper should say or look like in today’s day and age. Needless to say, Thai is comfortable in his own skin, and with a story as complex and meaningful as his own, it’s clear why the budding star has developed such a strong sense of identity as told throughout his critically-acclaimed debut album, Nothing Great About Britain. He’s a figure to rally around and an easy artist to connect to, just as thai demonstrates in the brand new video for one of my other favorite songs off of the album, “Toaster.”
Taking fans on a tour around his childhood home, the “Toaster” music video is more so a documentary than anything else. Each scene provides a look into thai at his most candid and sentimental, recalling times of struggle as fond memories of when musical stardom felt like a topic of daydream. Here and there, thai will slip back into the song and start singing along with the lyrics, but the focus in this video is clearly the autobiographical, true-to-self sentiment strung throughout the album — and in that lens, each scene here certainly does its job.
The story of slowthai is an intriguing one, and few songs are as reflective and heartful as “Toaster.” Once again, slowthai and co. hit the nail right on the head, so be sure to show some love and peep the new video below!