Koffee Expected To Release New Music Under ‘Pressure’
The 20-year-old lyrical prodigy known as Koffee lit up the quarantine atmosphere last Friday with the release of her single and music video Lockdown. The visuals were an instant hit that garnered 1 million views on YouTube in only 2 days, causing the song to be dubbed by fans as the summer anthem of 2020.
Keeping up this momentum, Koffee is expected to release another single called Pressure on July 30. The release of this particular single is long-awaited as the songstress has performed the track at different concerts for over two years, since January 2018.
I was fortunate to see her perform at the Brooklyn Steel in September 2019, and during this concert the musical genius preluded her performance of Pressure by telling the audience her personal story of struggle as a young teen with big hopes of being a pharmacist, only to have these hopes shattered when she wasn’t accepted into the sixth form of her alma mater, Ardenne High.
Koffee expressed, “Sometimes we face pressures inna life and even though we know we haffi mek it, one a di time me did haffi write a song bout di pressure too.” Obviously Koffee did mek it as she is now the apple of Jamaica’s eye and international Grammy award-winning superstar.
Music that reflects the times
The legend Nina Simone once said, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Koffee has exemplified just that with her music in general and her song Pressure specifically as she creates music that shines a light on the current issues that the masses of African people in Jamaica are going through.
Koffee sings, “All when di pressure erup’ we neva give up. No no no we neva give in.”
She continues, “It’s serious. Lawd times rough and it’s serious. Life is a likkle mysterious. Have we pot and we can’t even stir it up.”
Koffee is able to articulate through the song the struggles that the African working class face in Jamaica when it comes to poverty and hunger and offer some encouragement to her people to persevere.
Koffee recently performed the track in a collaborative promotional video for U.S. fashion designer Thom Browne in Highsnobiety’s Not in Paris online exhibition. The video was originally uploaded to YouTube but was taken down.
But the masses nevertheless are anticipating the official release of the song and an accompanying video.
As an artist, Koffee has consistently put the hardships that African people face at the forefront of her message even while celebrating life and maintaining a light, fun vibe. Her ability to weave issues of social justice into irresistible riddims and catchy lyrics is sure to garner her continued success.