This story was originally published by i-D UK.
Mick Jagger of reputable rhythm ‘n’ blues four piece The Rolling Stones just announced a new audio-visual project. His own address to Britain, the rockstar describes “England Lost” and “Gotta Get a Grip” as urgent responses to the “confusion and frustration with the times we live in,” and, as we can 100% all relate to, the result of an “anxiety, unknowability of the changing political situation.” Yes, Mick! The former, featuring unlikely but awesome ally Skepta, was written about a football match he attended, when, you guessed it, England didn’t play too well.
“Ostensibly, it’s about seeing an England football team lose,” he says. “But when I wrote the title I knew it would be about more than just that. It’s about a feeling that we are in a difficult moment in our history.” He wanted a British rapper on the track right from the start, adding that, “Skepta stepped in at a moment’s notice and I just loved what he did.” There’s also a second version sans Skeppy that stars actor Luke ‘Gaston’ Evans in a black and white short film that he tries and fails to escape from.
Meanwhile, “Gotta Get a Grip” stars girl-of-the-moment Jemima Kirke on a sweaty night out that descends into chaos. “The message, I suppose, is despite all those things that are happening, you gotta get on with your own life,” Mick reminds us, “be yourself and attempt to create your own destiny.” While someone sticks that on a T-shirt, now’s your chance to hear what Mick hears, via his new Spotify playlist, which includes Kendrick Lamar, Skepta, Howlin’ Wolf, Tame Impala, Prince, and The Valentine Brothers. “I really like Kendrick Lamar,” he muses, “he’s also talking about discontent and he really nailed it. I thought his stuff, and what Skepta is doing, is very interesting and pretty much on the button.”
Credits
Text Frankie Dunn
Screenshot via Youtube