Little Simz’s 2021 album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert propelled the UK rapper to acclaim, from the 2022 BRIT Awards to last year’s Mercury Prize. She surprise-dropped its follow-up, No Thank You, last December — along with a short film — and though 2023 is young, Little Simz is hitting the awards circuit again.
Simz took the Royal Festival Hall stage at the 2023 BAFTA Awards on Sunday, February 19, in London to perform “Heart On Fire” from No Thank You. As a bonus, she brought out Joan Armatrading to add some extra spice on the guitar.
“My heart’s on fire / I bought the dream with every penny that I acquired,” Simz rapped with a melodic, unwavering delivery. “It’s a set up and you’ll be next to those prior / The devil works hard, but the business works harder / I vowed from now to work smarter.”
The chorus hammers home the song’s poignant theme of a double-edged sword: “My life is a blessing / But it comes with the stresses / And I can’t take it all / Just don’t let me down when I’m in the fire.”
On a related note, Simz postponed a string of US tour dates last April due to “mental stress” and an inevitable “huge deficit” she’d be left in after self-financing a tour as an independent artist. All the more reason to soak up every Simz performance, including an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert tonight, February 20.
Watch Simz’s “Heart On Fire” performance from the 2023 BAFTAs above.
