On November 12, dancehall artist Konshens released his fifth solo studio album titled ‘Red Reign’, which he says marks a new era in his career.
Konshens has been dabbling in various genres of music over the years, and on this new LP, he integrates hip hop, trap, Afrobeat, and dance with traditional reggae and dancehall sounds. The project also includes a roster of collaborators like Davido, Stefflon Don, Rvssian, Dre Island, Kaelyn Kastle, Kemar Highcon, and Jesse Royal, and Spice.
With three canceled tours and forced isolation brought on by Covid-19 caused, Konshens began to suffer from mild depression and social anxiety. He says he channeled these adverse effects of the pandemic into his music and created over 70 songs, with 18 of them making the album.
One of the singles “She Got It,” featuring Rafa Pabön, hits hard with relentless reggae beats and electronic vocals. The sound defines the future of dancehall with references to Afrobeat and EDM, pushing the limits of tradition and genre.
The latest single, “Take A Shot,” infuses hip hop and reggae to create a “bad girl banger” with a video that captures Konshens’ inspiration for the song.
He explains, “Since Covid restrictions have been lifted in Florida, the club scene in Miami
has had a revival. I wanted to make an anthem for women to go out with their friends and
behave a little badly. It is the type of video that shows how some women behave when they think nobody is watching.”
The visual has inspired a social media challenge called the #TakeAShotChallenge, where users take a shot and then show off their dance moves, similar to the scenes shown in the video.
