It’s wild to think that — after almost a decade in the game, multiple mixtapes and features on tracks by Ne-Yo, Wiley and Mariah Carey — this Stefflon Don is only now ready to unleash her debut studio album. ‘Island 54’ arrives steeped in anticipation and promise, just about delivering.
From the first moment, the production glistens, sizzles and pops. ‘Island 54’ sounds fantastic, which is as much as you can ask for from an album so long in the making. The opening songs, Top Toppa and Dweet / Come Outside, serve up a spicy, vivacious mix of dancehall, Afrobeat, trap and patois-laden raps.
The album also holds more delicate performances like You Got Me F’d Up, Protect Me and Control. Steff’s voice sparkles and her ability to switch from club bangers to prospective personal playlist cuts is further proof of her confidence and talent.
The main trouble with ‘Island 54’ is that there is no clear distinction between this as an album and her previous mixtapes. The freedom with which she explores the record’s influences and many diversions makes it a joy to listen to, but there’s no sense of a theme, or indeed an increased focus on singles.
The success of 2018’s ‘Secure’ was always going to be tough to replicate, and here features from Buju Banton, D-Block Europe and the late Sidhu Moose Wala don’t stack up to that release’s shopping list of global stars.
Ultimately, ‘Island 54’ offers reassurance that Stefflon Don is one of the UK’s most reliable and hardworking performers, but it also suggests that there is more to come. By switching her focus towards something more cogent and thematically engaging, she has the potential to create a truly great album experience.
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