Final Form (song)

This article is about the Sampa the Great song. For other uses, see Final Form (disambiguation).
"Final Form"
Single by Sampa the Great
from the album The Return
Released5 June 2019 (2019-06-05)
Length3:36
LabelNinja Tune
Songwriter(s)Sampa Tembo, Alejandro John Abapo, Leon Sylvers
Sampa the Great singles chronology
"Energy"
(2018) 		"Final Form"
(2019) 		"OMG"
(2019)
Music video
"Final Form" on YouTube

"Final Form" is a song by Zambian singer/songwriter Sampa the Great. The song was released on 5 June 2019[1] as the second single from Sampa the Great's debut studio album, The Return. The song samples The Sylvers' 1973 funk track "Stay Away from Me" and Blood, Sweat & Tears’ “Spinning Wheel”.[2]

Sampa described the song as being about "expanding yourself and calling out any negativity towards that growth process".[3]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, the song won the ARIA award for Best Hip Hop Release.[4] At the APRA Music Awards of 2020, the song was shortlisted for Song of the Year.[5]

Critical reception

Al Newstead of Triple J described the single as "breathtaking", saying "like her best tracks, 'Final Form' has an empowering effect that makes you feel ferocious, insurmountable; like you could take on the world and win without breaking a sweat."[3]

In a review of the parent album, The Music's Madelyn Tait said the song was "confident, empowering and intrinsically connected to Tembo's heritage."[2]

Rachel Aroesti of The Guardian referred to the track as an album highlight in an album review.[6]

Track listing

Digital single[1]
No.TitleLength
1."Final Form"3:36

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2019 "Final Form" Best Hip Hop Release[4] Won
Best Video Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b "Final Form – Single by Sampa the Great on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b Tait, Madelyn (12 September 2019). "Sampa The Great / The Return". The Music. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b Newstead, Al (6 June 2019). "First Spin: Sampa The Great's "Final Form" is next-level inspiring". Triple J. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  4. ^ a b "2019 ARIA Award Winners Announced". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 27 November 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  5. ^ "APRA Has Revealed The 2020 Song Of The Year Finalists". The Music. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  6. ^ Aroesti, Rachel (13 September 2019). "Sampa the Great: The Return review – new perspectives on rap's age-old questions". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 April 2020.