Doorman (Slowthai song)

"Doorman"
Single by Slowthai and Mura Masa
from the album Nothing Great About Britain
Released19 November 2018
Genre
Length3:04
LabelMethod Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mura Masa
Slowthai singles chronology
"Rainbow"
(2016)
"Doorman"
(2018)
"Peace Of Mind"
(2019)
Mura Masa singles chronology
"Complicated"
(2018)
"Doorman"
(2018)
"I Don't Think I Can Do This Again"
(2019)
Music video
"Doorman" on YouTube

"Doorman" is a song by British rapper Slowthai and British electronic music producer Mura Masa. It was released on 19 November 2018 as the lead single from Slowthai's debut studio album, Nothing Great About Britain. The song was written by both artists, and produced by Mura Masa.

Background

The inspiration for the song came after Slowthai saw a 4.5-million-pound painting on a wall, which exposed the wealth disparity between the working and the ruling class.[4][5] The next day, he and Mura Masa wrote Doorman, keeping all the original vocal takes in order to preserve the post-punk, rebellious energy they aimed to capture.[6]  

Music video

The music video for the song, directed by The Rest, was released onto YouTube on 7 January 2019.[7] It was inspired by and contains several references to the Danny Boyle's movie Trainspotting.[8][9]

Live performances

Slowthai performed Doorman at Mercury Prize ceremony in September 2019. During the performance, he held a fake severed head of British prime minister Boris Johnson on stage, prompting controversy.[10] He also performed the song on Later... with Jools Holland in November 2019.[11]

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[12] Silver 200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

 

References

  1. ^ Blum, Dani (19 November 2018). "'Doorman' - Slowthai". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  2. ^ Joshi, Tara (25 January 2019). "Runt Of The Litter: slowthai Interviewed". Clash. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  3. ^ Haidari, Niloufar (19 December 2018). "slowthai's Music is Halfway Between Rap and Punk and So Are His Influences". Vice. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  4. ^ "'Doorman' coaxes out rapper slowthai's snarling punk core". The Line of Best Fit. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  5. ^ Whatley, Jack (7 January 2020). "slowthai shares new video for the gritty 'Doorman'". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  6. ^ Murray, Robin (20 November 2018). "slowthai Shares New Punk-Edged Burner 'Doorman'". Clash. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  7. ^ "slowthai, Mura Masa - Doorman". YouTube. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Slowthai Pays Tribute To Trainspotting In Video For Mura Masa Collab 'Doorman'". Capital Xtra. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Feature Video: Slowthai & Mura Masa - Doorman". ABC News. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  10. ^ Peplow, Gemma (22 September 2019). "Rapper slowthai holds up fake Boris Johnson head on stage at Mercury Prize ceremony". Sky News. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  11. ^ Moodle, Alice (2 November 2019). "Watch Slowthai Perform 'Doorman' on Jools Holland". GRM Daily. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  12. ^ "British single certifications – Slowthai & Mura Masa – Doorman". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 June 2025.