Lime Cordiale & Idris Elba unveil new video

Ahead of the release of their mini album Cordi Elba on Friday 14 January, today Lime Cordiale and Idris Elba reveal the action packed official video for their new single What’s Not To Like.

Directed and produced by Ken Weston, take a gamble with Lime Cordiale and Idris Elba on the visual accompaniment for What’s Not To Like. “This music video was really driven by Idris. Louis and I suggested an animated clip, seeing as we’re on the other side of the world and Idris doesn’t exactly have the most free schedule, but Idris pushed us to find a green screen studio. The song is about the different versions of ourselves so Idris talked us through this concept of his,” says Oli of the video.

“We received Idris’ footage first and then we had to somehow match his performance! God, he just looks so good on the screen! How could we possibly look that good! Ken Weston who is working on our live video content for the album tour was amazing and putting all this together. It ain’t easy working with two teams on different continents,” adds Louis.

Starring Idris’s velvety vocals and loaded with boisterous riffs and rollicking drums, What’s Not To Like follows on from their jaunty debut single Apple Crumble. “It’s a song about finding who you really are and not chasing who you think people want you to be. It is a driver’s seat singer classic, “ adds Idris of What’s Not To Like.

Lime Cordiale and Idris Elba’s partnership began when Lime Cordiale asked if Idris wanted to guest on a new version of Lime Cordiale’s Unnecessary Things – a song that first surfaced on the Relapse reissue of their 2020 No.1 album 14 Steps To A Better You. Idris did his research and was instantly sold. “I listened to them on Spotify, fell in love with them very quickly,” he says.

The Luther, The Wire, Thor, The Suicide Squad and Mandela star didn’t know it, but he was already in Lime Cordiale’s orbit – the duo regularly blasted Idris’ 2019 hit Boasty backstage before each show. Once the new version of Unnecessary Things was finished, this new partnership hit a creative streak and they kept on making more songs with Lime Cordiale’s longtime producer/co-writer David K Haddad.

On Boasty, Idris raps that he doesn’t need a ghostwriter. Indeed, Cordi Elba is a genuine creative collaboration with Oli, Louis and Dave. “We wrote everything together,” Oli says. “We were all writing lyrics – it wasn’t our music or his music, it was smack bang down the middle with every lyric.”

“I wanted to collaborate,” Idris adds. “We agreed about the vibe and the song was there. They were really open to ideas; it was an opportunity for me to write songs I normally wouldn’t write. Ultimately, this is a step into a new universe musically for me.”

Not only does Cordi Elba contain some of the finest musical work of both parties, it is unlikely to be a one-off alliance. There are tentative plans for Idris to join Lime Cordiale on a UK tour in early 2022. “I’d be honoured to help their exposure in the UK,” Idris says. “I am hoping to jump on stage with them when they tour.”

As Lime Cordiale starts work on their third album, Cordi Elba has changed them forever. “We’ve been catapulted into new territory with Idris and this has inevitably influenced the future of Lime Cordiale,” Oli says. “He gave us permission to break out of our genre and it’s going to be interesting where this takes us with new music.

Cordi Elba is released on January 14 via Chugg Music + 7Wallace Music