Skepta Opens Pandora’s Box on a Dark, Heavy New Track

: by Peter Källman • Reviews • 27 October 2026

Skepta has released a new song called "Pandora's Box", and this is definitely not one of those tracks where the beat is trying to make you feel comfortable.

The production is dark from the beginning. We hear these big, crunchy drums with occasional guitar sounds sitting behind Skepta, and the whole thing has this really bleak atmosphere. Skepta actually put the instrumental together himself, with additional production from David Dyson, which I think is quite interesting because the beat feels very connected to the way he performs over it.

The track is slower than some of Skepta's more explosive material, but his delivery gradually becomes much more intense. That contrast works really well. The instrumental stays heavy and controlled while the words start coming faster and harder.

The subject matter is also pretty dark. "Pandora's Box" looks at drugs, addiction and the kind of lifestyle where people start chasing money or status through increasingly destructive choices. There is this feeling throughout the track that Skepta is looking at people and situations he recognises very well, but from a distance he no longer wants to return to.

I think the guitars are a really nice touch. They are not constantly doing something dramatic, but they add this gloomy colour underneath the drums. It almost gives parts of the track a slightly rock-influenced feeling without turning it into some forced rap-rock crossover.

I have always liked rap production where one or two sounds are allowed to dominate instead of filling every second with extra layers. Here, the drums do a lot of the work. They sound huge, but there is still enough empty space around Skepta's voice for the lyrics to remain the main focus.

Doing some research, "Pandora's Box" is the second track from his upcoming album *The Fork and Knife*, and Skepta actually played the song live at Reading Festival before officially releasing it. That probably explains why the track feels so performance-ready. You can imagine those drums sounding ridiculous through a festival system.

This is also a more reflective Skepta than somebody might expect if they only know the really aggressive tracks. He is still sharp, but the mood feels more tired and observant than purely confrontational.

"Pandora's Box" is dark, heavy and probably not the song I would put on if I wanted to improve everybody's mood at a party. But the production is fantastic, the drums hit incredibly hard and Skepta sounds completely locked into the track. Definitely worth hearing through something with a bit of low end.