Stormzy takes training for his live shows so seriously it’s as if he’s getting ready for the Olympics.
The “Vossi Bop” rapper was originally due to tour his 2019 album Heavy Is the Head in the U.K. in 2020, but after a series of delays caused by the pandemic, he finally kicked off his trek in March 2022.
In an interview with GQ, the 29-year-old revealed that he worked to ensure his body was ready for touring after not performing live for so long.
“I pride myself on having an amazing show,” he said. “I pride myself on being a great performer. So I think, ‘O.K., what do you have to do to do that?’ I go on the most intense diet and get my nutritionist in. I get my trainer in, and we do intense workouts; you’d think I was training for the Olympics. And I stop smoking weed because I know that the best version of myself doesn’t smoke weed. I don’t think of it as discipline. It’s just easy maths in my head. This is what you need to do.”
Between announcing the tour and the shows taking place, Stormzy wondered if he might feel a bit out of sorts.
“It’s just that for the last few years I’ve been living my life, walking my dogs every day, just really treading along in my normal life,” he shared. “So, when it’s time to put on the cape I’m like, ‘Oh, s###.’ I know I still have my superpowers, but I haven’t worn this cape for ages. Then I go into the closet, and I put it on, and I know I’m going to fly out and use my powers, but naturally, on a human one, you’re like, ‘Well, I might feel a bit rusty.'”
However, he didn’t need to worry because the shows “did a lot for (his) confidence” and reassured him that he still had his fans’ support.