"Long-time fans of Stormzy expected a grime-tinted in-your-face project may be disappointed, but for any 'music' fan, there is something on this project for everyone. Stormzy's ability to bend genres at will, all while never losing any of his heart or integrity, is incredibly rare in the current mainstream music climate. 'This Is What I Mean' is a low-key affair, downbeat and introspective. The tracks are intimate in theme as well as production, and it might just be Stormzy's cohesive and coherent project to date".