Psychodrama (album)

Psychodrama
Studio album by
Dave
Released8 March 2019[1]
Recorded2018–2019
GenreBritish hip hop[2]
Length51:12
LabelNeighbourhood
Producer
Dave chronology
Game Over
(2017) 		Psychodrama
(2019) 		We're All Alone in This Together
(2021)
Singles from Psychodrama
  1. "Black"
    Released: 21 February 2019
  2. "Streatham"
    Released: 7 March 2019
  3. "Location"
    Released: 15 July 2019
  4. "Disaster"
    Released: 2019

Psychodrama (stylised in uppercase letters) is the debut studio album by British rapper Dave, released on 8 March 2019.[1] It follows his first two EPs, Six Paths (2016) and Game Over (2017). The album features guest appearances from J Hus, Burna Boy and Ruelle.[3] Psychodrama was executive produced by both Dave and Fraser T. Smith. The album features Dave's piano playing, while Smith assisted with Baroque influences, including strings, brass, harps, as well as more contemporary music through the use of drums and the synthesizer.

A concept album, Psychodrama follows the narrative of a therapy session, primarily detailing the impact of Dave's elder brothers' prison convictions, along with his struggles with mental health, strained relationships, and the tough social conditions that confront poor black youths. The album was supported by four singles: "Black", "Streatham", "Location" and "Disaster", with the latter three all reaching the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart.

Psychodrama debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and received widespread acclaim from critics, being hailed by some as one of the best albums of the year.[4] It became the most-streamed first-week British rap album in the UK with a total of 23.6 million streams. The album was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of at least 300,000 copies in the UK. It won the 2019 Mercury Prize and Album of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards.[5]

  1. ^ a b R. O'Connor, 'Dave announces debut album Psychodrama and releases new video for 'Black' starring Stormzy and Raheem Sterling Archived 2020-02-15 at the Wayback Machine (22/02/2019) in The Independent
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Guardian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Psychodrama by Dave". Genius. Archived from the original on 28 February 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference NME was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Dave's Psychodrama debuts at Number 1 in incredibly close Official Albums Chart battle against Foals". Official Charts. 15 March 2019. Archived from the original on 5 April 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.