Final Form (song)

"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

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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

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

Awards and nominations

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ARIA Music Awards

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

References

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  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.
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