Skepta has paid tribute to the late Amy Winehouse with his latest house-fused single featuring a Back To Black sample.
On Thursday night (October 12), the London-bred rapper continued his house transition with the release of the poignant “Can’t Play Myself” which he’s billed as a touching “tribute to Amy.”
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“Thank you for 4 Million+ followers. A tribute to Amy Winehouse – OUT NOW!! Finally,” Skepta wrote to Instagram upon the track’s arrival.
The haunting uptempo tune features a beautiful sample of 2006 Back To Black standout “Tears Dry on Their Own.”
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“He walks away, the sun goes down/ He takes the day, but I’m grown (I’m grown)/ And in your way, in this blue shade/ My tears dry on their own,” the late star sings on the chorus.
Listen to the tribute tune below.
Skepta premiered “Can’t Play Myself” while spinning a set at the famed Amnesia club in Ibiza to close out September.
“A tribute to Amy Winehouse @ Amnesia, Ibiza. It’s an honour to announce the #TearsDryOnTheirOwn sample has been cleared by Amy’s family,” he captioned the footage revealing that the late singer’s family gave Skeppy their blessing to do the song.
Before her death, Winehouse explained that the Back To Black song is about a relationship she knew wouldn’t last very long.
“I was with someone that I couldn’t really be with and I knew it wouldn’t last. But I think because I knew it couldn’t last, it’s kinda like saying, ‘I’m upset, but I know I’ll get over it, I guess,'” she told BBC (via Genius).
In a 2015 BBC documentary, producer Salaam Remi explained how “Tears Dry On Their Own” provided one of the rare vocal struggles for the singer.
“There was a lot of mad at the world, [with Amy] goin’ on like, ‘You sing it yourself!’ This just didn’t happen – these were rarities, as far as Amy needing to do a vocal over and over,” he said.
“Basically, frustration for the first time and the only time in our creative process was the frustration with the vocals. But, when it finally got right, it made all the difference in the world.”
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Amy Winehouse tragically passed away due to alcohol poisoning at the age of 27 in July 2011.
