22

When Craig David dropped his debut album, Born to Do It, in August 2000, the teenaged former pirate-radio DJ was already the source of one of the biggest hits the year prior: “Re-Rewind” with UKG duo Artful Dodger. Arriving at his eighth studio album, 22, David’s run now spans four decades. “I have to be able to strip all of my accolades away and get back to basics,” he tells Apple Music. “The same way an unknown kid from Southampton was able to hold his journey and have such an influence in the garage scene blowing up all those years ago. It’s when I embrace that rawness, I find that the magic happens.”
For his first album since 2018’s The Time Is Now, the one-time poster boy for the deep-rooted diversity of UK garage adds in the details to properly lean into his legacy. Across hand-picked guests, David interpolates his favourite ’90s R&B cut—from Jon B. on album opener “Teardrops”—lands a long-awaited pairing with MNEK (“Who You Are”) and holds space for the brightest of UK R&B’s next gen, including R ’n’ Drill pioneer Isong (“21”) and trap prince Nippa (“G Love”). “That’s just garage in a nutshell,” he says. “It’s always been about making music outside of the box. Whenever I write, or when I make a new album, Born to Do It is the standard, the gold seal. And even if [that time] was this huge blur that took things from zero to 100, I’m always grateful because it always keeps me in check. Read on for David’s track-by-track insights.