Reason to Smile

Reason to Smile is the debut studio album by British rapper Kojey Radical, released 4 March 2022 by Asylum Records and Atlantic Records.^[2][3] It was shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize and nominated for Album of the Year at the 2022 MOBO Awards.

Reason to Smile
Studio album by Kojey Radical
Released	4 March 2022
Genre	British hip hop gospel R&B[1]
Length	52:20
Label	Asylum Atlantic
Kojey Radical chronology
Cashmere Tears (2019) Reason to Smile (2022)
Singles from Reason to Smile
"War Outside" Released: 23 September 2021 "Gangsta" Released: 15 November 2021 "Payback" Released: 15 January 2022 "Silk" Released: 18 February 2022

Background

The album was preceded by four singles: "War Outside" released 23 September 2021;^[4] "Gangsta" released 15 November;^[5] "Payback" released 15 January 2022;^[6] and "Silk" released 18 February.^[7] The first three came along with music videos while "Silk" received an official visualiser. Another video for "Talkin" released 9 March, featuring animated versions of Radical and the song's guests Tiana Major9 and Kelis.^[8]

Reception

Reason to Smile ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.0/10[9]
Metacritic	81/100[10]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Clash	8/10[1]
DIY	[2]
Financial Times	[11]
The Guardian	[3]
The Line of Best Fit	8/10[12]
Loud and Quiet	9/10[13]
NME	[14]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Reason to Smile received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 from 7 critic scores.^[10] "Payback" was included at number 9 on BBC Music's list of the best songs of the year.^[15]

Accolades

Reason to Smile awards

Year	Organisation	Award	Status	Ref.
2022	Mercury Prize	—	Shortlisted	[16]
	GRM Daily Rated Awards	Album of the Year	Nominated	[17]
	MOBO Awards	Album of the Year	Nominated	[18][19]

Reason to Smile year-end lists

Publication	#	Ref.
Clash	22	[20]
Double J	22	[21]
NME	35	[22]
PopMatters	33	[23]

Track listing

Reason to Smile track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producers	Length
1.	"Reason to Smile" (featuring Tiana Major9)	Cameron Palmer Eight9FLY Kwame "KZ" Kwei-Armah Jr. Tiana Major9 Tyrell Paul	Cameron Palmer KZ Tyrell Paul 169 Venna	3:04
2.	"Together"	Palmer Emmavie KZ Maverick Sabre Mbongo Äyanna	Palmer KZ	3:04
3.	"Nappy"	KZ Oliver Rodigan	Cadenza KZ Ric & Thadus Palmer[a]	2:16
4.	"Silk" (featuring Masego)	David Mrakpor Masego Namali Kwaten	Blue Lab Beats Palmer[a]	3:58
5.	"Pressure" (featuring Shaé Universe)	Palmer Emil Larbi O. Koleoso Shaé Universe	Palmer Larbi	3:54
6.	"Born" (featuring Cashh)	Cashh KZ Rayan El-Hussein Rayo Goufar	KZ Palmer[a]	3:27
7.	"Pusher Man: BWI"	Adrian Francis Curtis Antony James Larbi	Francis Fanatix Larbi Palmer[a] KZ[a]	4:51
8.	"Talkin" (featuring Kelis and Tiana Major9)	Palmer Kelis KZ Tiana Major9	Palmer KZ	2:57
9.	"War Outside" (featuring Lex Amor)	Palmer KZ Lex Amor	Palmer KZ	3:57
10.	"Payback" (featuring Knucks)	Palmer Knucks	Palmer	2:45
11.	"Fubu"	Jay Weathers Karriem Riggins KZ	Weathers KZ Remedee Palmer[a]	3:05
12.	"Beautiful" (featuring Wretch 32 and Shakka)	Ayodele Oyadare Shakka Wretch 32	Oyadare Palmer[a] KZ[a]	3:20
13.	"Anywhere" (featuring Ego Ella May)	Palmer May Owen Cutts	Palmer Cutts KZ[a]	3:05
14.	"Solo" (featuring Rexx Life Raj)	Jazon Kawu-Eugenio Rexx Life Raj	Jay Prince	4:00
15.	"Gangsta"	Ed Thomas Weathers	Palmer Thomas Weathers KZ	4:37
Total length:				52:20

All tracks are written by Kwadwo Adu Genfi Amponsah with others noted.

1. Additional producer

Personnel

Musicians

• Kojey Radical – vocals
• Cameron Palmer – synth bass (2, 5, 10), piano (5, 8), keyboards (10, 13), organ (8), synthesizer (8), Rhodes solo (8), guitar (10), Wurlitzer (11)
• Kwame "KZ" Kwei-Armah Jr. – additional vocals (1, 3, 6, 10), synthesizer (2, 13), piano (1), Rhodes solo (2), piano (7), bass (8), guitar (8), synth bass (9), whistling (9)
• Tiana Major9 – vocals (1, 8)
• Masego – vocals (4)
• Shaé Universe – vocals (5)
• Cashh – vocals (6)
• Kelis – vocals (8)
• Lex Amor – vocals (9)
• Knucks – vocals (10)
• Shakka – vocals (12)
• Wretch 32 – vocals (12), additional vocals (8)
• Ego Ella May – vocals (13), additional vocals (9)
• Rexx Life Raj – vocals (14)
• Ayanna Christie Brown – additional vocals (2, 10)
• Emmavie – additional vocals (2, 10)
• Michael Stafford – additional vocals (2, 10)

• Christina Matovu – additional vocals (4, 7, 12, 15)
• Mundu – additional vocals (4, 14)
• Bobii Lewis – additional vocals (6)
• Benjamin Totten – guitar (1, 11)
• David Mrakpor – guitar, keyboards, synth bass (4)
• Rashaan Brown – guitar (6)
• Greg Mathews – guitar (8)
• Femi Koleoso – drums (1, 5)
• Namali Kwaten – drums, percussion (4)
• Dayna Fisher – bass guitar (6, 7, 11, 15), trombone (1)
• Neil Waters – trumpet (1–4, 10, 15), flugelhorn (4, 5, 11)
• Trevor Mires – trombone (2–4, 6–8, 10, 13, 15), sousaphone (7, 10), bass trombone (13)
• Charlie Stock and Stella Page – viola (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 12, 13, 15)
• Ezme Gaze and Wayne Urquhart – cello (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 12, 13, 15)
• Antonia Pagulatos, Emma Blanco, Marsha Skins, and Sam Kennedy – violin (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 12, 13, 15)
• Nathan "Flutebox" Lee – flute (2)
• Mike Keys – keyboards (9), piano, synth bass (13)
• Ed Thomas – piano (15)

Technical

• Cameron Palmer – engineering (1, 2, 5, 7–10, 13, 15), drum programming (2, 5, 9, 10, 13)
• Kwame "KZ" Kwei-Armah Jr. – executive producer, engineering (1, 2, 6–9, 11–15), drum programming (6, 8, 9), vocal arrangements (13)
• Swindle – executive producer
• Stuart Hawkes – mastering engineer (1–9, 11–14)
• Joker – mixing engineer (1–8, 10–14)
• Neil Waters – string arrangements (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 12, 13, 15)
• Namali Kwaten – drum programming (4), sound design (4)
• Blue Lab Beats – engineering (4)
• Jay Weathers – drum programming (15)

Charts

Chart performance for Reason to Smile

Chart (2022)	Peak position
UK Albums (OCC)[24]	11
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[25]	1