The album's title alludes to the Book of Samuel in the Bible (1 Samuel 16:14–23), where Saul summoned a young, brave shepherd, David, to play the harp to soothe him as he was being troubled by evil spirits.[3][4] The album was released to critical acclaim with many critics praising its lyricism, storytelling, and concept. The album became Dave's third consecutive number one album on the UK Albums Chart, moving approximately 74,000 units in its first week, while becoming the first UK rap artist to debut three albums atop the chart.[5][6] Internationally, the record debuted at number one in Ireland, the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland, and the top twenty in Canada.
Background
Dave released his second studio album, We're All Alone in This Together on 23 July 2021 to commercial success and critical acclaim.[7] On 3 March 2022, he released the chart-topping single, "Starlight", marking his first solo track to peak the charts while breaking the record for the first UK number one of the 2020s to be entirely written and performed by one person and the first number one to be written and produced by just one person since 2014.[8] On 1 June 2023, Dave released "Sprinter" with Central Cee, the lead single to the duo's collaborative EP, Split Decision (2023). The single became the longest-running number-one rap song in the UK, holding the position for 10 weeks while topping the charts in several other countries.[9]
After dropping loose singles and features in 2023, Dave embarked on a year-long hiatus from music in 2024, selectively teasing the record on social media. On 1 December 2023, Dave posted an Instagram post of a checklist with several goals, including one that read: "Start album 3".[10] In May 2025, during an interview at a Baller League event, Dave revealed that he was "finishing the album" in Los Angeles and Paris.[10] On 10 May, Dave shared an Instagram post to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his "BL@CKBOX Freestyle", revealing that the album would be released before 2026.[11]
Release and promotion
On 1 October, Dave had taken to Instagram to announce the release of the album, revealing the title, artwork, and date, while also releasing vinyls, CDs, cassettes, and bundles to purchase for pre-order.[12]
On 10 October, Dave shared an "intimate" short-film for the album, in collaboration with Stone Island Sound before releasing exclusive Stone Island vinyls, CDs, and cassettes.[13] On 16 October, Dave revealed his European arena tour in support of the album from February to March 2026.[14][15]
On 20 October 2025, billboards of Dave alongside other artists, including Tems and James Blake, began to appear in London.[10] Later that day, Dave unveiled the track listing and featured artists, confirming Tems and Blake, alongside Jim Legxacy and Kano.[16][17] Upon the release of the album, Dave partnered with the London-based streetwear brand, Corteiz to release merchandise bundles of the album.[18] On 29 October, Dave re-released his fan-favourite Psychodrama merchandise, bundled with physicals of The Boy Who Played the Harp.[19]
Music and lyrical themes
The Boy Who Played the Harp is exactly 47 minutes and 43 seconds long, marking Dave's shortest album.
Similar to Dave's debut album Psychodrama, the record is considered a "concept album" by critics, while his previous record We're All Alone in This Together was not. Throughout the record, Dave follows a continuous theme of God, faith, and destiny while viewing himself as a modern version of David.[21][22] Throughout the record, Dave covers topics of real-life problems, including anxiety, overthinking, fear of failure, infidelity to his ex-girlfriend, and success guilt.[22] On the record, Dave admitted to being in therapy, expressing that it hadn't worked for him, and that he suffered from alcoholism before reaching sobriety.[20]
In "Chapter 16", Dave structures the track as a conversation with Kano, an artist that he once looked up to. The two have a direct conversation on the track as they give each other respect for their contributions to hip-hop. They ask each other introspective questions about the music industry and their own lives. In the track, it was revealed by Dave that its title refers to 1 Samuel 16, the sixteenth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.[20] On "Selfish", Dave spends the 4 minutes and 32 seconds questioning himself and the decisions he makes, revealing the impacts they have on his life while alluding to attending therapy on Harley Street and spending time at the Grosvenor Casino on Edgware Road.[22] On "Fairchild", Dave tells a story about Tamah, who faced sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and an attempted rape. While Dave narrated the story, Nicole Blakk rapped the first verse from Tamah's perspective.[21][22][20] On "The Boy Who Played the Harp", the final and title track, Dave placed himself in different scenarios, debating his own morality. He covers the topics of fighting in World War II for the sake of his country, the Civil Rights Movement and the Decolonisation of Africa in the 1960s, and the Battle of Karbala, putting himself in the shoes of Husayn ibn Ali to test his morality.[22]
The Boy Who Played the Harp received critical acclaim. Rolling Stone UK praised it as "an album that cements Dave as one of the UK's best storytellers."[26]
Writing for Clash, Robin Murray described the record as "staggeringly powerful", continuing that "Dave pushes his art to higher levels". Murray wrote that the album "almost purposefully designed to exclude easy hot takes, and narrow definitions", before concluding that, "it’s a record that truly speaks for itself, and in truth there is no higher praise we could give it".[20] Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the Financial Times wrote that the record is "a five-star offering from the pinnacle of UK rap".[24]The Guardian's Alexis Petridis wrote that The Boy Who Played the Harp "is a very muted-sounding album indeed", noting that it's "big on sparse arrangements, gentle piano figures and subtle pleasures". Petridis wrote that the album is "full of self-examination by a rich and successful pop star might seem like a schlep on paper" before writing that "Dave is a fantastically smart, sharp lyricist, more than capable of making it work" and that the record "feels fascinating, rather than self-indulgent". Petridis concluded his review praising how the album "focuses attention on his voice and exemplary flow".[21] Writing for MusicOMH, Ben Devlin wrote that "the British rapper’s third album is a particularly serious affair, tackling religion, guilt and the allure of fame".[25]
Kyann-Sian Williams of NME wrote that "Dave has delivered an album that is technically flawless and lyrically impeccable", describing the album as "a commanding work that confirms his place as one of the most accomplished voices in UK music, even if its sombre weight occasionally tempers its immediacy".[23]The Times's Victoria Segal describes the album as a "commanding — almost stately — record" and that it shows that "there’s a lot weighing on Dave, an artist acutely alert to the compromises and contradictions inherent in every choice". Segal concluded, "ten years into Dave’s career and life might be increasingly complex, freighted with the reckonings that come with fame, getting older and growing up. Creatively, though, he’s still making it look remarkably easy".[22]
Commercial performance
Album sales
The Boy Who Played the Harp debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, moving 73,799 album-equivalent units; of which 21,602 were from streaming, 51,809 from physical sales and 368 from downloads.[5] Receiving the third highest first-week sales for a rap album behind his own We're All Alone in This Together (74,000) and Tinie Tempah's Disc-Overy (85,000), the album also became the fastest selling rap album on vinyl in the 21st century, selling 15,500 copies in its first week.[27][6] Dave also became the first UK rapper to debut three albums at #1 and the first to land three albums inside the UK Albums Chart Top 40 with The Boy Who Played the Harp at #1, Psychodrama at #17, and We're All Alone in This Together at #26.[28] Upon its release, the record was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry.[29]
Internationally, the record debuted at number one in Ireland, the top ten in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Single performances
Despite no pre-released singles, three tracks from the album charted on the UK Singles Chart: "Raindance" (5), moving 34,935 single units, "History" (9), moving 25,119 single units, and "Chapter 16" (11), moving 22,415 single units.[5][27] UK chart rules prevent artists from having more than three songs in the top 40 at once; without these rules, all ten tracks would have debuted within the top 20.[29]
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