Soca star Nailah Blackman is kicking off 2025 with a fresh sound, unveiling her latest single, Feels Like Love, featuring OVO Sound’s Roy Woods.
The dancehall-infused R&B track, produced by Jakey Krumm and Hunter Tomeo, serves as the first official release from her highly anticipated sophomore album, Born A Diamond (B.A.D.), set to drop in the latter half of the year via Philadelphia’s Big Money Records.
Blackman shared details about the upcoming project in a new interview with Billboard’s Kyle Denis, marking a major milestone in her evolving career. The single arrives on the heels of a high-energy Trinidad & Tobago Carnival season, where the island pop princess was a fixture at major fetes and concerts. She also hosted the sixth edition of her signature Sokah Origins concert, introducing the album’s theme.
“A diamond is something created over a long period of time,” Blackman explained. “I was born into a family of musicians, all very talented, some geniuses in their own right. From the inception of my life, there was never a time where I knew something else… It is symbolic of how I feel about my life and my music and career.”
The granddaughter of soca’s founder, Lord Shorty (Ras Shorty I), Blackman continues to push the boundaries of the genre. Born A Diamond will blend her soca roots with a global mix of influences, featuring collaborations with Jamaican star Shenseea, reggaeton hitmaker Nicky Jam, rising talent Sadboi, and Nigerian DJ Obi, with whom she recently teamed up for the Afro-soca fusion Miss Continental.
With a packed schedule ahead, Blackman will headline the Saturday Night Live concert series at the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 12 before making her debut at Philadelphia’s Roots Picnic festival (May 31-June 1). Additional performances are planned for Jamaica, New York, Toronto, and Las Vegas as she gears up for the album’s release.
As she expands her global reach, Nailah Blackman remains firm in her artistic vision. “I know who I am and I own my identity in whatever genre I choose to create,” she said.
