Ziggy Marley Is Looking on the ‘Brightside’ for His First Proper Solo Album in Eight Years: ‘I Listen to This Album As If I Didn’t Make It’
Categoria: Musica
And he's already turned his attention to his next album. Read the Billboard interview.
Por Billboard | 26/05/2026
In the time since Ziggy Marley’s last proper solo studio album, the nine-time Grammy-winning reggae star survived the COVID-19 pandemic, produced his late father’s box office-smashing biopic and dropped a star-studded duets album featuring the likes of Tom Morello, Busta Rhymes and Sheryl Crow. Naturally, it was time for a reset. Related Sister Nancy Talks New Documentary & Why Jay-Z’s 2017 ‘Bam Bam’ Sample Is Her Favorite: ‘He Did the Right Thing, Everybody Else Was Cheap’ Brandy & Monica, Kes the Band & Tems Dazzle at Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival 2026: 5 Best Moments 5 Takeaways from the 2026 Island Music Conference: Songwriters’ Workshops, AI & the Future of Reggae at the Grammys To do so, Marley headed out to Los Angeles to build Rebel Lion Studio, the perfect new playground for him to freely and fully experiment with recording in 432 Hz, the sonic frequency that grounds his quietly defiant Brightside LP. Comprised of just eight songs, Marley’s new album certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome. Instead, the breezy record blends deep personal revelations with a world music-infused roots reggae foundation, resulting in a morale-boosting listen that fashions universal proclamations of hope out of grounding Rastafari principles. Grammy-winning instrumentalists Sheila E. and Trombone Shorty appear on standout track “Why Let the World,” while pop-soul vocalist Nikki Costa and ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro guest elsewhere on the tracklist. “ Mike Schuppan, who engineered the record, put the studio together right before we came into record Brightside ,” Marley tells Billboard . “It’s like building your house and then living in it.” Brightside first entered the world as a vinyl-exclusive release, arriving on Record Store Day (April 18) alongside a signing at Los Angeles’ famed Licorice Pizza. By May 1, the album hit streaming services with a new Big Boi-assisted version of “Racism Is a Killa,” adding another lauded voice to the LP’s tight circle of collaborators. Marley will support his ninth solo studio album with the 20-date Brightside Tour, which kicks off on June 19 at Fox Theatre in Tucson, Ariz., and concludes on July 22 in Nantucket, Mass., with Hawaiian reggae sensation J Boog appearing as a special guest on select dates. Below, Ziggy Marley talks about the peculiar emotions around the heart-wrenching “Many Mourn for Bob,” celebrating 20 years of his classic 2006 album Love Is My Religion and diving straight into his next record. When did you start to feel that a new album was taking shape? I started writing some songs while I was on the Bob Marley movie set, which was about three years ago. After the movie wrapped, I kept writing because I was feeling down, and that inspired me to write songs like “Why Let the World” and “Jah We Give Glory.” I just wanted to express myself in the music, and that eventually led me to “Many Mourn for Bob.” It was a season for writing. I also felt