Ky-Mani Marley returns with first studio album in more than a decade

Jamaican reggae artist Ky-Mani Marley has released “Love and Energy,” his first studio album in more than a decade, featuring collaborations with several prominent names in reggae.

Released Aug. 28 through Marley’s Konfrontation Muzik label in partnership with New York-based DubShot Records, the project features 14 songs and two spoken-word reflections.

Sizzla, Gyptian, Anthony B, Agent Sasco, Bugle, Andrew Tosh, Lutan Fyah and Iba Mahr are among the Jamaican artists featured on the album.

“Love and Energy” explores relationships, struggle, personal growth, spirituality and social issues while remaining rooted in reggae. Marley, the son of reggae icon Bob Marley, served as a co-producer on all but one of the tracks.

“The title Love and Energy for me represents the idea that what we give to the world matters,” Marley said. “The album carries a message of love, resilience, hope, and positive energy, even through difficult times.”

The album opens with the previously released “New Creature,” which reached No. 1 on Jamaican charts, followed by the title track featuring Lutan Fyah and Iba Mahr. The music video for “Love and Energy” has amassed nearly 2 million views since its release last year.

Other tracks include “Miss Electric,” “All This Love” and the Afrobeats-influenced “City Views,” while Marley teams up with Gyptian on “Love Is Key.”

One of the album’s more personal songs, “A Little Bit (I’m Okay),” was written by Marley, his daughter Imani Marley and longtime collaborator Shaquel Leon.

The song reflects on mistakes, uncertainty, resilience and acceptance and became a crowd favorite during the European leg of Marley’s recent Love and Energy summer tour. A live video was filmed during his performance at the Toulouse Rio Loco Festival in France in June.

The track was produced by Marley, Anthony Smith and Llamar “Riff Raff” Brown and features a classic one-drop reggae rhythm alongside pedal steel guitar by Tal Morris.

Marley shifts to an acoustic sound on “Breathe You In,” which he describes as an “intimate love song,” while “Love TKO” offers his reggae interpretation of the R&B classic made famous by Teddy Pendergrass.

“I’m a big Teddy Pendergrass fan, and this is actually one of my favorite songs, so I think, ‘why not not cover one of your favorite songs,’” Marley said.

Social commentary also features prominently on the album. “Poor Man’s Cry” examines desperation driven by poverty, while “One Family,” featuring Bugle, focuses on unity and reflects a message Marley said was championed by his father.

“No matter your color or your religion, we’re all one. We’re all God’s children. We’re all one family under the sun,” Marley said.

“When the World” features Anthony B and Andrew Tosh alongside a gospel choir, while “War Inna Babylon” brings together Marley, Sizzla, Anthony B and Agent Sasco over a Nyabinghi rhythm.

The album also includes two spoken-word “Reflections” exploring Marley’s thoughts on music and social justice.

“Love and Energy” marks Marley’s eighth solo studio album.