Rizzle Kicks – ‘Competiton Is For Losers’ review: a welcome return for the UK pop-rap pioneers

14 February, 2025

Rizzle Kicks

Rizzle Kicks have always had a knack for injecting fun into the mundane – whether that’s sparking a dance trend with the infectious ‘Mama Do The Hump’ or tackling heavy topics with an air of carefree fun with ‘Lost Generation’. ‘Competition Is For Losers’, their third album and first in nine years, is no different.

READ MORE: Rizzle Kicks tell us about returning after eight years with ‘Javelin’: “We’re rekindling our joy of creating music”

This time around, they blend their playful irreverence with a sharpened introspective edge, offering a comeback that feels fresh and evolved. Jordan Stephens and Harley Alexander-Sule have returned with a renewed sense of purpose, shaped by personal growth and creative freedom. “There’s a balance to be struck… We’ve let go of trying to be ‘cool’ – now it’s about honesty,” Stephens told NME last August, a sentiment that reverberates throughout the album.

As the child at the start of the album boldly declares, Rizzle Kicks are “fucking back” – and they’ve come out swinging. ‘Competition Is For Losers’ is jubilant yet elevated, driven by their love of live instrumentation. Their signature brass makes a grand return with a trumpet blast in ‘Bad Tattoo’ (a winking nod to their 2011 debut single ‘Down With The Trumpets’), but they’re not trapped in the past – the album weaves in slinky basslines, shimmering keys, and joyous toots that push their sound forward.

Tracks like ‘Javelin’ and ‘New Sport’ radiate golden optimism, but ‘It’s A Tricky One’ is where the duo’s evolution truly shines. With its smooth, atmospheric synths and distorted vocals, the track lifts into a more contemplative space while firmly living in the modern rap world. ‘What’s Your Plans’ continues that introspective thread, a reflection on fleeting pleasures used as distractions from life’s heavy realities.

Alexander-Sule’s (and sometimes Stephens’) vocals are respected as their own instrument, adding tantalising melodies on top of the already indulgent production throughout. Stephens’ verses also offer think pieces for days. On ‘Good Luck’, he captures the dissonance of constantly performing our personas in the social media age (“We’re trying to Photoshop our vibes onto people who we haven’t been near”).

On ‘Pleasure & Pain’, Maverick Sabre joins him to share raw words about how detrimental societal norms can ruin humanity. As Stephens plainly puts it: “The human soul is corrupt, I feel disgusted, yo!” Throw in some candid soundbites from a collection of voices that touch on mental health, society and more, and the record is easily as philosophical as it is cinematic.

While the soundscapes feel expansive and the positivity is a much-needed injection in the rap world, the just-shy-of-an-hour runtime and some of Stephens’ deep musings (“Everyboy’s standoffish until they realise you’re a shooting star / Aviators and a few cigars, people cutting lines from every actor with their stupid part”) feel a little too profound to achieve maximum impact. In places, the record feels almost like a poem by My Wife And Kids character Michael Kyle – iconically powerful, but only once you have time to digest it.

Despite some (very) minor missteps, ‘Competition Is For Losers’ is a triumphant return. Not only do the pair reacquaint us with their wondrous world, but they also prove that – despite the time off – ring rust is of no concern here. Nine years after we last heard from them, Rizzle Kicks are just as mesmerising as their first run.