Following snippets and the tease of a new project on social media, South London rapper drops the single two-pack ‘Titanium & Mercury’. Zooming into this picture from Dave’s instagram, we are to expect eleven songs on his next release and the possible album or lead single title: ‘No survivors.’
In this snippet, Dave teased ‘Titanium’ in a studio rapping along to each braggadocious line, the first being:
“22 with a 2.2, just came back from a long hiatus”
Now, this bar had me checking period tables for the atomic number of titanium which is in fact also 22, in addition to being Dave’s current age. You can expect double entendre after double entendre, maintaining his reputation for bars that consistently reside over our heads. On the topic of his hiatus, we haven’t heard from Dave since his 2019 solo track ‘Paper Cuts’ but we know he’s kept himself busy with features on tracks with fellow UK rappers Fredo, Giggs and Ghetts.
The production on both tracks is clean. ‘Titanium’ being produced by P2J and Kyle Evans and ‘Mercury’ by Kyle Evans alone. We see an immaculate lifestyle flex and not-so-humble brags delivered on the former, but where’s humility when you’re still top of the game, irregardless of being out for a hot minute. Despite being the shorter of the two, from his sheer presence on the track alone, it is set out to be the fan favourite.
‘Mercury’ includes a hook from emerging North London singer-songwriter Kamal over elegant piano, in Dave’s signature introspective style. He opens up about mental health, dating and his absence over the past year. Dave also confirms neither single will appear on his upcoming album, but to have throwaway tracks of this calibre just adds to Dave’s brilliance.
Listen to the two latest tracks below:
Header image: Dave via NME.