Formz
Formz is a UK rapper with a point to prove. Still at the start of his career, Formz has been steadily attracting attention by breaking through hundred of thousands of social media wannabes with his signature take on football, friends, fakeness, and everything in between. Earlier this year, it seemed like Formz was on the verge of his big breakthrough after he was invited to perform on Sky Sports’ Football Daily show. With no backing track for company – just his mobile phone, a packed TV set, and the eyes of millions of viewers – he rapped a short summary of the Premier League season.
Performing solo as a newcomer on national television isn’t an easy gig. But social media doesn’t often factor basic humanity into its collective consciousness. Formz was rinsed for his performance. Viewers queued up to share the same witty ‘hot take’: that they wanted to cancel their subscription because they didn’t rate a light-hearted, one-minute segment that Formz had casually tapped out on his phone notes.
Instead of letting the criticism get to him, Formz took his medicine, got back in the studio, and wrote a message back to the ‘I could have scored that!’ crowd. ‘Keyboard Warriors’ could have been a diss track. Instead, it’s a reflection of Formz’ self-confidence in his own abilities. His career is going places – far from a setback, the negative attention has only improved his visibility online – and the only person he needs to prove anything to is himself. We spoke to him about his career so far, his inspirations, and his hopes for the future.
FAULT: Tell us a bit about your background – how did you get into music?
Formz: Music has been in my life since I can remember. Driving to primary school with Capital breakfast on, learning songs from hearing them a few times I knew I had a deeper connection than my peers. I went to a Tinie Tempah concert in the O2 in 2014 and that night changed my life! The way he came out, used the entire stage and had 20,000 people singing his words back to him gave me a feeling as if the universe was telling me that’s what I was destined to do too. I started writing bars that evening and never looked back.
Name some of your key inspirations, musical and/or otherwise?
When I first got introduced to Stormzy, it was the way his character shone through in his delivery that really stuck out to me. His confidence was unmatched and I began to emulate his style. That’s where I get my name from (my surname is Foreman and merged with Stormzy you get Formz). Aitch is an inspo to me as it gives me a great feeling knowing someone my age is up there with the big dogs competing for top spot. He’s another example of how staying true to yourself will always outshine the fakeness. A non-musical inspiration is my Mum. She single-handedly raised me and my sister and, since I can remember, those 2 have been my ‘why’. Working 7 days a week is an ethic I picked up from mumsy a long long time ago. I won’t stop until she’s in her dream home.
How would you describe your sound?
My sound doesn’t necessarily fit into one box, but then again that’s just me. I’d describe my style as energetic, charismatic and real. I have a passion for putting melody into art so wherever I can sprinkle those vocals I do.
Social media has irreversibly changed the way we relate to musicians, from unknowable celebrities to people we feel like we know. How similar/different is your musical persona to your TikTok persona or the person you are when you’re with your mates?
My music is a direct representation of me and what I live. My social media is the same. I think if you tried to be one person in front of the camera and someone completely different in your art, or with your friends then somebody’s lying. My videos relate to my ‘outer music’ passions (mainly sport and learning about new people) and I incorporate my musical skillset within them to ensure the most authentic content. For example, I’ll summarise the Premier League weekend through rap. Or I’ll ask the public random questions and use their answers to create a song. In a nutshell, I’m the same person in a booth, behind a camera and behind closed doors.
As a huge football fan, performing on Sky Sports must have been a massive career highlight for you. ‘Keyboard Warriors’ is about hitting back at the trolls who dissed your performance but how disappointing was the negative reaction at the time?
I have the strongest mindset and the thickest skin of anybody I know. For me and what I do, that’s a superpower. Twitter is a place full of trolls and people jumping on the bandwagon so for me it wasn’t as much a disappointment, more an opportunity to show a wider audience just how irrelevant ‘Keyboard Warriors’ are. I’ve never been subject to that much negativity in one go so although I’m good at blocking it out, somewhere my subconscious said “Right, it’s not a big deal, but get yourself in the studio and get it out of your system”. So that’s exactly what I did.
Arguably, the reaction to your appearance corresponds to what many would consider an ultra-critical approach to individual performances in football. Why do you think football, in particular, seems to encourage that degree of trolling?
Football breeds opinion; without it, you’d lose the competitive element. In the modern day, social media can determine whether or not a football player is good or bad before they even touch a ball. It’s so easy for fans to hide behind a screen knowing that whatever happens, their consequences are minimal. That’s where the problems begin: when it comes to social media, everybody thinks they’re invincible.
Who would you most like to collaborate with and why?
Stormzy for me would be the ultimate full circle moment. Tinie may have sparked the passion but Stormzy made me want to show my friends. He gave me the confidence to pursue music full-time. Plus, how cool does Formz ft. Stormzy sound?!?!
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
A lifelong dream of mine has been to be a movie actor. I’ve always said that once I have peaked in music, I’ll make my way over to Hollywood. If music wasn’t a part of my life, you’d probably be looking at the next Iron Man.
What can we expect from you in the near future? Anything you’re particularly looking forward to?
You can expect a whole new wave of music, where I test the limits of my vocal ability. Pop songs with catchy hooks but also sticking to my roots with bar for bar tracks too. I’ve got 2 headline shows in the works in London and Manchester so definitely keep your eyes peeled for more detail.
What is your FAULT?
The mindset I’ve got can sometimes make me come across too confident which, upon meeting people for the first time, may be perceived in the wrong way. I don’t let it get to me, though. As much as other people can have their own opinions, it’s my own I care about the most. That’s one of the messages ‘Keyboard Warriors’ delivers.
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