Kojey Radical Urges Fans: ‘Don’t Look Down’ on New Album
East London rapper and minstrel Kojey Radical has returned with his largely awaited sophomore album, Don’t Look Down, a three-time follow-up to his Mercury Prize-nominated debut, Reason to Smile.
The album isn’t just a collection of songs. It’s a journey. A reflection on success, change, and the personal cost of reaching the top.
“When you start off climbing, you don’t think; you just go. There is no time or desire to stop and think about what you’re doing. Only a single-minded focus on reaching your goal.
But when you’re standing at the top of the mountain, exhaling the cold air, you might, against your better judgment, chance a look down, and be confronted by what you have unknowingly lost.”
For Kojey, the debut album captured the struggle of getting there. Don’t Look Down focuses on life once the destination has been reached, its complications, pressures, and exposures.
Released via Asylum Records UK/ Warner Music UK, the 16- track reader blends stripes seamlessly. Funk, soul, hipsterism, hop, smut, jazz, ska, disco, and indie all intertwine to produce a pictorial musical geography.
DON’T LOOK DOWN OUT NOWhttps://t.co/YQbA23kxaS pic.twitter.com/lSfCkOYEnT
— Kojey (@KojeyRadical) September 19, 2025
Collaborators like Swindle, Ashton Sellars, and Emil give lush product, while Kojey’s introspective lyrics anchor each track. Themes of love, loss, fellowship, motherhood, and fame run through the reader.
It’s candid about navigating the majority and the prospects of having everything figured out by your thirties. Kojey explores the search for connection, even when it’s imperfect.
“She’s love”, his friend says on ‘Long Day’ when Kojey inquires about a woman at a party. “But that’s not for you, my g.”
Tracks like ‘On Call’ and ‘Expensive’ examine romance, desire, and the costs of love.
Meanwhile, hard-hitting cuts like ‘Problems’ with Brixton’s Cristale and ‘Drinking My Water’ showcase his resilience against external pressure.
Socio-political commentary emerges on ‘Conversation’, highlighting the UK’s economic and societal landscape.
“I wanted to make this album more personal and more honest. We have to be able to accept that the messenger has flaws and all.
“So if I can’t give you me from a real perspective, as someone who hasn’t got it quite all the way figured out, then how are you supposed to trust me?”
The second half of the album introduces collaborations with Ghetts, Col3trane, SOLOMON, Victor Ray, Jaz Karis, and Chrissi. Tracks like ‘ Life of the Party’ and ‘ Breathe’ reveal the loneliness and disillusionment that accompany fame, while ‘ Every Day’ and ‘ Baby Boy’ near with Kojey reflecting on motherhood, generational trauma, and the enduring love of family.
The opening track, Knock Knock, sets the tone with the exemplary spoken-word line: “Don’t look down if you have the world at your feet.”
It’s an expression echoed by his son on the final track, framing the reader as a contemplation on responsibility, survival, and tone-discovery.
Don’t Look Down is further than a reader; it’s Kojey Radical’s fiat. A raw, sincere reflection on ultramodern life, success, and the intimate spaces where love and identity collide.
