Wiley Flow

"Wiley Flow"
"Wiley Flow"
Single by Stormzy
from the album Heavy Is the Head
Released	15 September 2019
Length	3:27
Label	#Merky; Atlantic;
Songwriters	Michael Omari; Eyobed Getachew; Richard Kylea Cowie Jr.;
Producers	EY; AdotSkitz; Illmind;
Stormzy singles chronology
Music video
	"Wiley Flow" on YouTube

"Wiley Flow" is a song by English rapper Stormzy, released on 15 September 2019 through #Merky and Atlantic Records as the third single from his second studio album, Heavy Is the Head. The song is a homage to British grime MC Wiley that interpolates flows from his tracks "Bad 'Em Up" and "Nightbus Dubplate".^[1] The cover art also mirrors his mixtape, Tunnel Vision Vol 1 (2007).^[2]

Critical reception

Writing for Fact, Henry Bruce-Jones called it a salute to the "godfather of grime" on which Stormzy "cribs flows" from Wiley and "go[es] in on" over a "murky instrumental".^[1] Karen Gwee of NME labelled it "hard-hitting",^[3] while Sajae Elder of The Fader described it as Stormzy "racing through a series of number and OG checks ("If you can't do 10K first week then I don't wanna hear no chat about numbers')".^[4]

Music video

The music video features Stormzy rapping the song while "surrounded by his friends in a gloomy basement".^[3]

Charts

Chart performance for "Wiley Flow"
Chart (2019)	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA)^[5]	30
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)^[6]	21
Scotland (OCC)^[7]	59
UK Singles (OCC)^[8]	22
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)^[9]	25

Certifications

Certifications for "Wiley Flow"
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)^[10]	Gold	15,000^‡
United Kingdom (BPI)^[11]	Gold	400,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ ^a ^b Bruce-Jones, Henry (16 September 2019). "Stormzy salutes the grandfather of grime on 'Wiley Flow'". Fact. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
^ "Stormzy Pays Homage To Wiley With Merky New Track "Wiley Flow"". trenchtrenchtrench.com. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ ^a ^b Gwee, Karen (16 September 2019). "Hear Stormzy's hard-hitting new track, 'Wiley Flow'". NME. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
^ Elder, Sajae (15 September 2019). "Stormzy drops 'Wiley Flow'". The Fader. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
^ "New Zealand single certifications – Stormzy – Wiley Flow". Radioscope. Retrieved 4 January 2024. Type Wiley Flow in the "Search:" field.
^ "British single certifications – Stormzy – Wiley Flow". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 February 2022.

[Fact-1] Bruce-Jones, Henry (16 September 2019). "Stormzy salutes the grandfather of grime on 'Wiley Flow'". Fact. Retrieved 24 September 2019.

[2] "Stormzy Pays Homage To Wiley With Merky New Track "Wiley Flow"". trenchtrenchtrench.com. Retrieved 20 November 2019.

[NME-3] Gwee, Karen (16 September 2019). "Hear Stormzy's hard-hitting new track, 'Wiley Flow'". NME. Retrieved 24 September 2019.

[4] Elder, Sajae (15 September 2019). "Stormzy drops 'Wiley Flow'". The Fader. Retrieved 24 September 2019.

[sc_Ireland4_-5] "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 September 2019.

[6] "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.

[sc_Scotland_-7] "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.

[sc_UK_-8] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 September 2019.

[sc_UKrandb_-9] "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.

[New_ZealandStormzyWiley_FlowsingleCertRef-10] "New Zealand single certifications – Stormzy – Wiley Flow". Radioscope. Retrieved 4 January 2024. Type Wiley Flow in the "Search:" field.

[United_KingdomStormzyWiley_FlowsingleCertRef-11] "British single certifications – Stormzy – Wiley Flow". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 February 2022.

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v t e Stormzy
Discography Awards and nominations
Studio albums	Gang Signs & Prayer (2017) Heavy Is the Head (2019) This Is What I Mean (2022)
Singles	"Know Me From" "WickedSkengMan 4" "Dude" "Scary" "Big for Your Boots" "Cold" "Cigarettes & Cush" "Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2" "Vossi Bop" "Crown" "Sounds of the Skeng" "Wiley Flow" "Own It" "Audacity" "Still Disappointed" "Mel Made Me Do It" "Backbone"
Featured singles	"Good Goodbye" "Power" "Bridge over Troubled Water" "Let Me Down" "Shine Girl" "Take Me Back to London" "I Dunno" "Ain't It Different" "Clash"
Other songs	"Shut Up" "Shape of You" "All Time Low"
Tours	Heavy Is the Head Tour

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