GWAMZ DISCUSSES AFRO-BOUNCE SINGLE “FRENCH TIPS” FEAT. EFOSA

With his new single “French Tips” featuring Efosa, the South West London genre-hopper proves he's not here to follow

trends — he's building his own. Bold, bounce-heavy, and unapologetically slick, it’s the first taste of his upcoming genre-defining project Life Of The Party — a record that fuses amapiano, R&B, hip-hop, and afro-fusion into something truly his own.

Fresh off a sold-out tour and co-signs from BBC 1Xtra to Capital Xtra, Gwamz sat down with us to talk beats, bounce, and why “French Tips” is more than a banger — it’s a statement.

“French Tips” is your first drop from Life Of The Party — what made this the right track to kick things off? Was there a moment in the studio where you knew this one would set the tone?

“French Tips” had to be the first drop from Life Of The Party because it just made sense. It’s basically the intro to this new UK Afro sound I’ve been building since tunes like “just2.” It’s got that bounce, that smoothness, that energy I’ve been trying to carve out. It’s something for the girlies to get ready to, but it also gives people a proper feel for the vibe and direction of the whole project. From the moment we made it in the studio, I knew this one was the tone-setter.

2. You’ve said “the beat comes first” — can you talk us through the bounce and texture of this track? What drew you into that amapiano influence, and how do you keep it grounded in your own UK-rooted sound?

Yeah, for me the beat always comes first. That’s where the feeling is. With “French Tips,” it was the bounce that locked me in straight away. It’s gotsome amapiano influence, not as much as some of the other tracks in the project but you can definetly hear it. I wanted to give it that UK edge. The swing in the drums, the way the melodies sit, the pocket I’m flowing in, all of that is grounded in where I’m from and how I hear music. I grew up on Grime, so flows and pockets is something that has been nutured in me since young, however other influences like rnb and afroswing that i had picked up over my teenage years helps me shape what this sound is today.It’s not just about following a sound, it’s about building on it and making it mine. That balance is what makes the track move the way it does. 

3. There’s a real chemistry between you and Efosa on this track. How did that link-up happen, and what do you think his voice brings to the record?

Efosa is family. We’ve been locked in for a while, and working with him always feels effortless. He’s honestly one of the best writers I know. His pen is crazy, and he’s got this way of making anything sound good. When we were building “French Tips,” I already knew I wanted a verse from him. The way his voice sits in the pockets, the way he flows, it just adds a different texture and brings the whole vibe together. The chemistry was already there, so it was just about catching the right moment and letting it happen naturally.

4. ‘Life Of The Party’ spans afro-fusion, hip-hop, and R&B — what kind of journey are you taking listeners on? Is there a core message or feeling that connects all seven tracks?

Life Of The Party is really about showing all the different sides of me. Sonically it moves through all these different genres, but it’s all connected by energy and feeling. Each track has its own vibe, but together it is a statement! It’s that feeling of walking into a room and owning it, whether you’re turning up, catching a vibe, or just in your zone. The core message is that you don’t have to be loud to be the life of the party, sometimes it’s just about presence, steeze and being unapologetically you. 

5. You’ve been building live momentum fast — fresh off tour with Skeete and getting radio love from 1Xtra to KISS. How does performing these tracks live shape how you write or produce now? 

Performing live definitely changed the way I approach writing and production. When you’re on stage and you see what actually gets people moving or singing back to you, it makes you think differently. Now I’m always thinking about how a track is going to translate in a room. The drop, the energy, the pockets that give people a moment to connect or go mad. Touring with Skeete was crazy. The love i was receiving from the fans was out of this world, especially at the intimate shows, i loved each and every bit of it.Also getting love from stations like 1Xtra and KISS has shown me that the sound is connecting, people are listening! I wanna be able to take what we have built to the max.