"The Weekend" is a song by British rapper Stormzy and singer-songwriter Raye. It was released on 20 July 2023 through Def Jam Recordings. The song marks the second collaboration between the two artists, following "Ambition", a track from Raye's 2016 EP Second.[1][2] The song was sent to Italian radio as a radio single on 5 September 2023 through EMI Records.[3]
Written and composed by Stormzy and Raye, who also produced the song with ThisizLondon,[4] the track incorporates elements of 2000s R&B and hip-hop.[5][6]
El Hunt of Evening Standard described Raye as a "perfect co-conspirator", praising the production for its "smooth, Noughties pop beat" with jazz and gospel influences.[7] Tom Breihan of Stereogum described Raye's vocals as "downright jazzy", while nothing that Stormzy "brings a whole lot of pop-rap swagger to his pickup lines", finding the track "futuristic and familiar".[4]Clash's writer Robin Murray explained that the song "leans on the soulful charms" of both singers, defining it as a "breezy, R&B-influenced track".[8]
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