Stormzy has spoken candidly about a turbulent period in his life, revealing that he is entering 2026 “stronger” after being “crippled by sadness” throughout much of 2025. The rapper also addressed criticism surrounding his high-profile collaboration with McDonald’s, pushing back against accusations that he had “sold out”. The partnership was first announced at the beginning of last year, when Stormzy teamed up with the fast-food giant to launch the UK and Ireland’s first Famous Order meal.

The collaboration allowed fans to order his favourite McDonald’s meal, alongside exclusive merchandise available through the McDonald’s app. While commercially successful, the deal sparked backlash from some fans, who questioned how the partnership aligned with Stormzy’s previously outspoken political views.

Criticism centred on McDonald’s perceived links to Israel, which some felt conflicted with Stormzy’s public support for Palestine. The artist, whose real name is Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr., has long been vocal on the issue and performed at a Palestine aid benefit concert in January 2024. Around the time the McDonald’s deal was announced, fans also noticed that he had deleted a social media post from October 2023 expressing solidarity with Palestine.

The Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) movement had previously called for a global boycott of McDonald’s after franchises in Israel reportedly provided thousands of free meals to Israeli forces following Hamas’ October 7 attack. This context intensified scrutiny of Stormzy’s decision to work with the brand.

Stormzy later responded to what he described as a “twisted narrative”, denying that the deleted post had anything to do with the McDonald’s collaboration. He explained that the post was removed as part of a wider clean-up of his social media accounts.

“In that post I spoke about #FreePalestine, oppression and injustice and my stance on this has not changed,” he wrote at the time. “The brands I work with can’t tell me what to do and don’t tell me what to do — otherwise I wouldn’t work with them.”

Now, marking the start of 2026, Stormzy has shared a lengthy and reflective message, describing the past year as deeply challenging but ultimately transformative. He revealed that early 2025 brought “unexpected twists and turns” that tested him emotionally and forced him to let go of “my desire to be understood”.

Reflecting on the McDonald’s backlash, he acknowledged that many questioned his “character and integrity”, adding that a younger version of himself would have rushed to defend his values and clarify that he would “never trade his humanity for cash”. Today, however, he says he feels no obligation to explain himself, stating plainly that he “doesn’t need to explain anything to anybody”.

Despite moments of defiance early in the year, Stormzy admitted that by the end of summer he found himself struggling once again. “I was crippled by sadness,” he wrote, revealing that he faced tests “physically, spiritually, professionally and creatively”. He credited his faith and close friendships with helping him through the darkest periods, forcing him to reassess every aspect of his life.

“So yes, it’s been painful and at times I hated it,” he continued, “but as the year ends and I reflect, I can say that I am so, so, so grateful for it.”

Looking ahead, Stormzy said he has gained clarity about who he is both as a man and an artist, and plans to honour that understanding with action in 2026. He also confirmed that he will be stepping back from social media and is continuing work on his highly anticipated fourth studio album.

Amid the controversy, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski denied that the company has taken sides in the Israel–Palestine conflict, describing boycott calls as “disheartening and ill-founded” and blaming them on “misinformation”.

Elsewhere, Stormzy continues to make an impact beyond music. Last summer, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Cambridge in recognition of the Stormzy Scholarship, which he launched in 2018 to fund Black British students at the university. Originally supporting two students per year, the initiative expanded to 10 annually with backing from HSBC UK. To date, 56 students have attended Cambridge with full tuition and maintenance costs covered.