Edna (album)

2020 studio album by Headie One

Edna

Studio album by

Headie One

Released| 9 October 2020
Genre|

* British hip hop
* UK drill

Length| 63:29
Label| Relentless
Producer|

* 169
* 5ive Beatz
* ADP
* Al Hug
* Ambezza
* Benjamin Lasnier
* Eyes
* Fred Again
* Geno
* Gottionem
* Io
* JAIAH
* JenneJenne
* Kenny Beats
* Kyle Stemberger
* Lasse Qvist
* Lukasbl
* M1onthebeat
* Madara Beatz
* Mokuba Lives
* Nyge
* ProducerBoy
* Quincytellem
* Rob Smyles
* Toddla T
* TSB
* WondaGurl

Headie One chronology
| Gang
(2020)  | Edna
(2020)  |

|
|

Singles from  Edna

1. "Only You Freestyle"
Released: 20 July 2020
2. "Ain't It Different"
Released: 19 August 2020
3. "Breathing"
Released: 5 October 2020
4. "Princess Cuts"
Released: 8 October 2020

Edna is the debut studio album by British rapper Headie One. It was released by Relentless Records on 9 October 2020.[1] The album features guest appearances from M Huncho, AJ Tracey, Stormzy, Young T & Bugsey, Young Adz, Future, Drake, Skepta, Ivorian Doll, Kenny Beats, Aitch, Haile, Mahalia, and Kaash Paige.[2][3] A deluxe version of the album was released on 12 February 2021 which features guest appearances from Rich the Kid, NorthSideBenji, Burna Boy and  RV.[4]

## Release and promotion

[edit]

Headie One first teased Edna to release on 18 August 2020.[5][6] On 24 September 2020 Headie One appeared in an interview with 16BARS and spoke about the album and the meaning behind the title, Edna.

> My mum's name is Edna. Obviously when I was younger, I was like 3-years old, my mum passed away, init. So I grew up like, it was just me, my pops and my sister, that was my household. You know what I'm tryna' say? So, I felt like I ain't really had nothing to give since this music stuff so I felt like if I was gonna' do my debut album, it's only right I named it after her.[7]

On 2 October 2020 Headie One released the album's official tracklist via his Instagram and Twitter, building hype for the project with a lineup of talented and big features such as M Huncho, AJ Tracey, Stormzy, Young T & Bugsey, Young Adz, Future, Drake, Skepta, Ivorian Doll, Kenny Beats, Aitch, Haile, Mahalia, and Kaash Paige.[8]

On 12 February 2021 Headie released a deluxe edition of Edna which included an additional eight tracks alongside features from Rich the Kid, NorthSideBenji, Burna Boy and RV.[4][9][10]

### Singles

[edit]

The album's lead single, "Only You Freestyle" was released on 20 July 2020, with Drake.[11][12][13] The album's seconds single, "Ain't It Different" was released on 19 August 2020, with AJ Tracey and Stormzy.[14][15][16] The album's third single, "Breathing" was released on 5 October 2020.[17][18][19] The album's fourth and final single, "Princess Cuts" was released on 8 October 2020, with Young T & Bugsey, just a day prior to the release of the entire album.[20][21]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsAggregate scores

Source| Rating
AnyDecentMusic?| 7.9/10[22]
Metacritic| 87/100[23]
Review scores
Source| Rating
AllMusic| [24]
The Arts Desk| [25]
Clash| 9/10[26]
The Daily Telegraph| [27]
The Line of Best Fit| 9/10[28]
Loud and Quiet| 8/10[29]
NME| [30]
The Observer| [31]
The Times| [32]

Edna was met with critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 87 based on five reviews.[23] The aggregator AnyDecentMusic? has the critical consensus of the album at a 7.9 out of 10, based on seven reviews.[22]

Writing for AllMusic, David Crone stated introspection comes to light on Edna for the first time in Headie One's career and that the project "is a reflection of both life and career, paying homage to his diverse sonic palette while offering lyrical insight into his journey here". He also stated that, "sonically, Edna is set out like a banquet of the rapper's works, tapping styles across the scene for a comprehensive representation of his career" and that it is "the sound of its mastery: pulling out all the stops for an expansive statement of self, the Tottenham native provides his most compelling set yet."[24] The Arts Desk's Joe Muggs wrote that the album "sounds like a million pounds: absorbing dancehall, Afro-swing and more styles besides, British rap is now as confident in itself sonically as Headie is lyrically". He wrote that "in many parts [the album's] grim, cold and violent" but "there’s a lot you can learn about this country from hearing that grimness expressed with such determined intelligence."[25] Writing for Clash, Robert Kazandjian stated that "the twenty-track project, dedicated to his late mother, features Headie’s strongest, most reflective writing to date" and that "distance offers clarity, and the further he navigates away from his past life, the more vivid the pictures he paints of it". He noted that "the true power of the album lies in Headies's introspection, when he’s alone with the beat and his thoughts".[26]

The Daily Telegraph's Neil McCormick wrote that "despite its focus on crime and punishment and prodigious use of gangland slang, Edna proves far more thoughtful than the genre’s reputation might lead listeners to expect", however, if you "strip away the lyrics, and the strange mix of electro loops, nervous beats, sad melodies and sci-fi sounds is utterly compelling and contemporary, evidence of a cutting edge local music scene that continues to thrive even with venue doors barred shut".[27] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Steven Loftin stated that "Edna isn’t made to be an easy listen, it’s made to be a truthful one" and described how the album is "a portrayal of Headies's world up to this moment, and just what he wants to take forward from the rest of it". He noted that "it’s an evolution, not quite a revolution", concluding his review as he noted that "You can’t expect change to come without the past tagging along, reminding you of what waits if a different hand is dealt that changes your path".[28] Loud and Quiet's Max Pilley began his review by writing that throughout the project, Headie "weaves a tale of self-examination and personal growth, using his own life to assemble a fable that hinges on an individual’s capacity to overcome". Pilley makes it clear that the "echoey production dominates" the project, but "Headie also pushes out beyond the drill boundaries".[29] Writing for NME, Caitlin O'Reily compares Edna to Headie'ss fourth mixtape, Music x Road, stating that "Edna is its grown-up, lavish cousin". She states that the "album is washed in the melancholy, minor-key trap beats requisite of in-vogue modern hip-hop". Concluding the review, O'Reily notes that the album "is proof that he's the unmistakeable, global "King of drill", and much more besides".[30]

Writing for The Observer, Kitty Empire noted that the album "travels a significant distance from his previous fast-paced accounts of life on the streets" and that it "is forced into a dance, of sorts, with Adjei's past". Concluding her review, she states that "Headie One gets to flex, collaborate and try new things, while Irving Adjei feels safe enough to show vulnerability".[31] The Times' Will Hodgkinson states that on the album, "[Headie] captures the dull reality of prison life" and "makes drug dealing sound as appealing as root canal work and wonders if things might have been different had his mother".[32]

### Year-end lists

[edit]

Select year-end rankings of Edna Publication  | List  | Rank  | Ref.

|
|
|

Clash | Clash Albums Of The Year 2020  | 10  | [33]
The Fader | The Best Albums of 2020  | 30  | [34]
NME | NME's 50 Best Albums of 2020  | 27  | [35]
Noisey | Noisey's 100 Best Albums of 2020  | 4  | [36]
The Line of Best Fit | The Line of Best Fit's Best Albums of 2020 Ranked  | 49  | [37]
Loud and Quiet | The Loud And Quiet best albums of 2020  | 36  | [38]
The Quietus | The Quietus Albums Of The Year 2020  | 37  | [39]

## Commercial performance

[edit]

The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling 15,494 copies in its first week[40] and earning a total of 25.5 million on-demand streams of the album's songs during that week.[41] It also charted in Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Scotland.

## Track listing

[edit]

Edna track listingNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Teach Me"| Irving Adjei| Madara Beatz| 2:30
2.| "Psalm 35"| Adjei|

* Benjamin Lasnier
* JenneJenne
* Lukasbl
* Rob Smyles

| 2:40
3.| "Bumpy Ride" (featuring M Huncho)|

* Adjei
* M Huncho

| Quincytellem| 2:21
4.| "Triple Science"| Adjei|

* Geno
* Kyle Stemberger

| 3:10
5.| "The Light"| Adjei| 169| 3:31
6.| "Ain't It Different" (featuring AJ Tracey and Stormzy)|

* Adjei
* Ché Grant
* Michael Omari, Jr.
* Fred Gibson
* Thomas Bell
* Camille Purcell
* Anthony Kiedis
* Michael Balzary
* Chad Smith
* John Frusciante
* Marion Hall
* Gary Jackson
* Steven Marsden

* Fred Again
* Toddla T

| 3:16
7.| "Mainstream"| Adjei|

* Eyes
* ProducerBoy

| 2:10
8.| "Princess Cuts" (featuring Young T & Bugsey)|

* Adjei
* Ra'chard Tucker
* Doyin Julius

* Io
* TSB

| 3:05
9.| "21 Gun Salute" (featuring Young Adz)|

* D-Block Europe
* Adam Williams
* Josiah Dixon
* Tyrell Paul

* 169
* JAIAH

| 3:31
10.| "Five Figures"| Adjei| 169| 2:46
11.| "Hear No Evil" (featuring Future)|

* Adjei
* Nayvadius Wilburn
* Ebony Oshunrinde
* Sadiki Forbes

* WondaGurl
* 5ive Beatz

| 4:23
12.| "Breathing"|

* Adjei
* Lukas Leth
* Benjamin Lasnier
* Lasse Qvist

* Lasnier
* Qvist

| 2:53
13.| "Only You Freestyle" (with Drake)|

* Adjei
* Aubrey Graham

| M1onthebeat| 4:10
14.| "Try Me" (featuring Skepta)|

* Adjei
* Joseph Adenuga

| Gottionem| 3:13
15.| "F U Pay Me" (featuring Ivorian Doll and Kenny Beats)|

* Adjei
* Lei Jennings
* Kenneth Blume III
* Christopher Layton
* Vanessa Mahi

| Kenny Beats| 2:44
16.| "Parlez-Vous Anglais" (featuring Aitch)|

* Adjei
* Harrison Armstrong

* Al Hug
* Ambezza

| 3:20
17.| "Everything Nice" (featuring Haile)|

* Adjei
* Amish Patel

| ADP| 3:40
18.| "You/Me" (featuring Mahalia)|

* Adjei
* Mahalia Burkmar

| Mokuba Lives| 3:17
19.| "Therapy"|

* Adjei
* Nyge
* Quincytellem

* Nyge
* Quincytellem

| 2:11
20.| "Cold" (featuring Kaash Paige)|

* Adjei
* D'Kyla Woolen
* Oshunrinde

| WondaGurl| 4:38
Total length:| 63:29

Deluxe edition track listingNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Hung Jury"|

* Adjei
* Keven Wolfsohn
* Paul Goller
* Alastair O'Donnell

* The Elements
* AoD

| 3:01
2.| "Bussdown" (featuring Rich the Kid)|

* Adjei
* Dimitri Roger
* Kelly

| Nyge| 2:24
3.| "Showed Me" (featuring NorthSideBenji)|

* Adjei
* Jaiden Watson
* Patel

| ADP| 2:52
4.| "Siberia" (featuring Burna Boy)|

* Adjei
* Damini Ogulu
* Wolfsohn
* Goller
* O'Donnell

* The Elements
* AoD

| 2:53
5.| "Level Up"|

* Adjei
* K Tokyo

| K Tokyo| 3:31
6.| "Dressing Gown"|

* Adjei
* MikaBeats
* N1

* MikaBeats
* N1

| 3:09
7.| "Zodiac" (featuring RV)|

* Adjei
* Jordan Townsend
* Kenneth Blume III
* Nils Nöhden

* Kenny Beats
* Nils

| 3:09
8.| "Yet"|

* Adjei
* Ghosty

| Ghosty| 3:14
Total length:| 87:42

## Charts

[edit]

Chart performance for Edna Chart (2020)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[42] | 22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[43] | 84
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[44] | 86
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[45] | 36
Irish Albums (OCC)[46] | 3
Scottish Albums (OCC)[47] | 55
UK Albums (OCC)[48] | 1
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[49] | 2

## Certifications

[edit]

Certifications for Edna Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United Kingdom (BPI)[50] | Gold  | 100,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## See also

[edit]

* List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 2020s

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Keith, James (9 October 2020). "Headie One's 'Edna' Has Arrived". Complex UK. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
2. ^ Wynter, Courtney (9 October 2020). "Headie One Releases Highly-Anticipated Debut Album Edna". GRM Daily. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
3. ^ "Headie One releases debut album – Edna". Wordplay Magazine. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
4. ^ a b Powell, Jon (15 February 2021). "Headie One reveals deluxe edition of 'EDNA'". Revolt TV. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
5. ^ "Headie One teases first music from debut album: Listen". DJ Mag. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
6. ^ Cetin, Marissa (20 August 2020). "Headie One's debut album is called Edna". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
7. ^ Malcolm, Natalie (25 September 2020). "Headie One Talks Upcoming Album Edna, Working with Drake & More with 16Bars". GRM Daily. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
8. ^ Macauley, Tristan (2 October 2020). "Headie One Drops the Track-List for the Highly Anticipated Album Edna". Link Up TV. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
9. ^ Keith, James (12 February 2021). "Headie One Drops Off Deluxe Edition Of 'EDNA' With Eight New Tracks". Complex UK. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
10. ^ Wynter, Courtney (12 February 2021). "Headie One Shares Deluxe Edition of Edna with Burna Boy, RV & More". GRM Daily. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
11. ^ "Headie One and Drake share "Only You Freestyle"". The Fader. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
12. ^ "Headie One shares collaboration with Drake, 'Only You Freestyle'". NME. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
13. ^ "Drake and Headie One Share New Song "Only You Freestyle": Listen". Pitchfork. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
14. ^ Lynch, Jack (20 August 2020). "Headie One Shares "Ain't It Different" From 'Edna' f/ Stormzy and AJ Tracey". Complex. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
15. ^ Darville, Jordan (20 August 2020). "Headie One enlists Stormzy and AJ Tracey for "Ain't It Different" music video". The Fader. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
16. ^ A., Aaron (21 August 2020). "Headie One Enlists Stormzy & AJ Tracey For "Ain't It Different"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
17. ^ Triscari, Caleb (5 October 2020). "Headie One releases new single, 'Breathing'". NME. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
18. ^ Wynter, Courtney (6 October 2020). "Listen to Headie One's Brand-New Single 'Breathing'". GRM Daily. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
19. ^ Powell, Jon (6 October 2020). "Headie One drops new single "Breathing"". Revolt TV. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
20. ^ Dre D. (8 October 2020). "Headie One Rallies Young T & Bugsey For New Afroswing Single "Princess Cuts"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
21. ^ Renshaw, David (9 October 2020). "U.K. drill rapper Headie One links with Young T & Bugsey on "Princess Cuts". The Fader. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
22. ^ a b "Edna by Headie One reviews | Any Decent Music". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
23. ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Edna – Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
24. ^ a b Crone, David. "EDNA – Headie One | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
25. ^ a b Muggs, Joe (16 October 2020). "Album: Headie One – Edna". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
26. ^ a b Kazandjian, Robert (8 October 2020). "Headie One – Edna". Clash. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
27. ^ a b McCormick, Neil (7 October 2020). "Headie One, Edna review: the king of drill shows his sensitive side". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
28. ^ a b Loftin, Steven (5 October 2020). "Headie One's debut is the drill star's recognition of his brutal reality and deserved success". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
29. ^ a b Pilley, Max (5 October 2020). "Headie One – Edna – Album Review". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
30. ^ a b O'Reilly, Caitlin (8 October 2020). "Headie One – 'Edna' album review". NME. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
31. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (10 October 2020). "Headie One: Edna review – drill king moves forward". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
32. ^ a b Hodgkinson, Will (9 October 2020). "Headie One: Edna review — authentic vision of life on the margins". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
33. ^ "Clash Albums Of The Year 2020". Clash. 14 December 2020. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
34. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2020". The Fader. 15 December 2020. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
35. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2020". NME. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
36. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2020". Noisey via Vice.com. 8 December 2020. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
37. ^ "The Best Albums Of 2020 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit. 3 December 2020. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
38. ^ "The Loud And Quiet best albums of 2020". Loud And Quiet. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
39. ^ "Quietus Albums Of The Year 2020 (In Association With Norman Records)". The Quietus. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
40. ^ Homewood, Ben (16 October 2020). "Headie One salutes No.1 success with Edna". Music Week. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
41. ^ Savage, Mark (16 October 2020). "Headie One tops chart with album named after mum". BBC News. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
42. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Headie One – EDNA". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
43. ^ "Ultratop.be – Headie One – EDNA" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
44. ^ "Headie One Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
45. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Headie One – EDNA" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
46. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
47. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
48. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
49. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
50. ^ "British album certifications – Headie One – Edna". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 September 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Headie One – EDNA at Discogs (list of releases)

* v
* t
* e

Headie One

Studio albums|

* Edna
* The Last One

Mixtapes|

* Music x Road
* Gang
* Strength to Strength

Singles|

* "18Hunna"
* "Back to Basics"
* "Only You Freestyle"
* "Ain't It Different"

Featured singles|

* "Don't Rush"
* "Audacity"
* "Not Over Yet"

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[Ref.]: Reference
*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template