I think we’ve all come to know the classic phrase ‘sticks and stones will break my bones but words can never hurt me’ was in fact a complete and utter lie, well the latter part anyway. The main positive that’s come from that phrase is the amount of intoxicating hooks that’ve come from it. That rhyme has filtered its way into countless big hitters back catalogues and hundreds upon thousands of independent artists have done it too, but I firmly believe that this new collaboration from Zayuh and Lil Uber might be my favourite version of it to date.

The aptly titled Sticks and Stones opens straight away with that rhyme but soon moves onto more emotionally intuitive territory. Instead of the physical items bringing the pain it’s actually the idea of nothingness that makes the world around them crumble. When nobody is with them their mind is given free reign, making them ponder countless things that leads to their mental health taking a huge hit and their wellbeing tumbling down around them. The buoyant nature of the production expertly contrasts this, going from heart-wrenching lyrics to energetic synths and character filled vocals that bring this piece to life. This is certainly a song I believe we’ll all find a piece of ourselves within.