Stalk Ashley & Stormzy

How it happened

On September 23, 2019, one year into her career, Stalk Ashley walked into the most famous radio studio in Britain. Stormzy — fresh off headlining Glastonbury, with “Vossi Bop”, “Crown” and the Ed Sheeran link “Take Me Back to London” ruling the year — had chosen her as his guest for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge Month.

The cover: “Brown Skin Girl”, reimagined

His three-song set ran “Crown” and “Sounds Of The Skeng” before the moment everyone remembers: a cover of Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” from The Lion King: The Gift. The arrangement opened as a slow piano ballad and bloomed into what Uproxx described as a soulful, jazzy full-band rendition, with Stormzy adding freestyled bars of his own — including a dedication to his future daughter — while Stalk Ashley carried the guest vocals. NME called it a “beautiful Beyoncé cover”; The Line of Best Fit’s headline said it plainly: Stormzy had recruited Stalk Ashley for the moment.

Why it mattered

Press from TRENCH to EARMILK still cites the Live Lounge appearance as her breakout co-sign — the moment a UK superstar told his audience this Jamaican newcomer belonged on the biggest stage. The BBC relationship deepened from there: 1Xtra named her to its Hot For 2021 tip list that December, and she returned to perform “TIP” with The Compozers for the Hot 4 2021 sessions.

The timeline

Sept 23, 2019 — joins Stormzy in the Live Lounge for “Brown Skin Girl” · Dec 2020 — named to BBC 1Xtra’s Hot For 2021 · 2021 — “TIP” live session with The Compozers.