Headie One shares new song “Martin’s Sofa”

Headie One has shared his first single of the new year. “Martin’s Sofa” follows the 28-year-old emcee’s ambitious No Borders: European Compilation Project — a November 2022 mixtape comprising 11 international collaborations — and, more recently, “50s,” a December cut that doubled as a teaser for the new one. “The fans calling for ‘Martin’s Sofa’ / It might be the first single from my second,” he rapped, creating a substantial buzz around a potential sophomore studio LP that a new press release confirms will arrive sometime in 2023.

Today’s track is a relatable ode to eternal hustle in which the titular couch is both the centerpiece of a trap house and a nagging symbol of a situation Headie hopes he’s transcended but fears he may be forced to return to one day. “I pray when the fame and the charting’s over / I ain’t gon’ end up on Martin’s sofa,” he raps on the hook, sounding genuinely stressed over an M1onthebeat instrumental that interpolates a sample of Jeni Suk’s cover of SBTRKT’s “Wildfire” notably used in Flatbush Zombies’ “Palm Trees.”

Nathan Tettey’s visual treatment for “Martin’s Sofa” — complete with a “characters, names, and events in this video are fictional” disclaimer — starts as a straightforward reimagining of Headie One’s rocky path to success but devolves into a darkly woven nightmare of failure. Watch it above and view Headie’s No Borders European tour dates below.

February 11 - Zurich, CH - Dynamo
February 12 - Cologne, DE - CBE
February 13 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Tolhuistuin
February 15 - Hamburg, DE - Uebel & Gefahrlich
February 16 - Berlin, DE - Lido
February 17 - Munich, DE - Hansa 39
February 18 - Frankfurt, DE - Zoom Bar
February 20 - Brussels, BE - Botanique
February 21 - Paris, FR - Maroquinerie
February 22 - Stockholm, SE - Fryshuset
February 23 - Copenhagen, DK - Pumpehuset
February 25 - Oslo, NO - Parkteatret