Protoje, Lila Iké Reconnect On ‘Late At Night’ Off His New Album ‘Third Time’s The Charm’
Protoje has linked up Lila Iké again for the fourth single Late At Night off his upcoming album Third Time’s The Charm.
The album, which will be his 7th studio project, is slated for release later this month on September 23. In the meantime, the In.Digg.Nation Collective CEO will join forces with Iké and Jesse Royal for his U.S. tour entitled Lost In Time, which kicked off yesterday.
Dubbed “The 4th film by Samo” with cinematography credits to Fernando Hevia, the video for Late At Night was released yesterday, along with a special comment from Protoje.
“One of [the] most crucial songs out of my catalogue,” he commented on YouTube.
“Heaviest Riddim in a reggae music in years! Turn this up load on a proper speaker, laptop speaker cannot do this Justice. Another social commentary on the place that we call home. Jamaica.”
Protoje’s new single, which was co-produced by UK heavyweight DJ and beatsmith Cadenza, intricately weaves 1970s American soul and 1980s Jamaican lover’s rock into a modern-day masterpiece. The song’s rhythmic framework samples Late At Nights recorded by Jamaica’s iconic songstress Pam Hall and Reggae architect Gussie Clark.
The updated version with Lila Iké’s warming vocals adds deeper sentiment of social commentary on the original that was sung by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics and Detroit’s R&B vocal trio The Jones Girls.
The Who Knows singer said at long last he’s found a beat that hits.
“I’ve been searching for an instrumental that epitomizes hardcore reggae,” he said in a statement to DancehallMag.
“It feels like how Welcome To Jamrock by Damian Marley felt when I first heard it, and Lila’s voice adds this eerie and haunting element to an already dark and grimy riddim,” he continued.
Protoje and Lila previously collaborated on In Bloom and Not Another Word with Agent Sasco.
The concept of time holds a special meaning to Protoje; this latest chapter, Third Time’s The Charm has come as a bookend to an era that began with the 2020 pandemic, and adds to the trilogy of albums he’s dropped in the same vein since his GRAMMY-nominated, A Matter of Time (2018), followed by In Search of Lost Time (2020).
“Third Time’s The Charm concludes this trilogy of albums that directly focus on my study of time and how important it is to make sure what you’re doing is fulfilling you in every way,” the singer says. “Sonically it’s a bit more reggae than my last, even though reggae is always the root, I had some fun implementing all the sounds I’ve grown to love,” he added.
Released in partnership with Protoje’s label In.Digg.Nation Collective and RCA Records, the new 10-track opus chronicles the artist’s journey as a man, a father, and as an entrepreneur in the music industry. The collection reflects his deep affinity and vast understanding of multiple genres, from Ska to lovers Rock and Reggae, as he intrinsically channels his native island’s rich musical stylings stretched over a half-century, while mixing Hip-Hop, Trap Dance, and Soul into a colorful unconventional style of his own.
Recorded primarily at Protoje’s studio “The Habitat”, located in the hills of Kingston, Jamaica, the tight-knit set features an array of the island’s musical visionaries including featured vocalists Samory I, Lila Iké, and Jesse Royal. Protoje also tapped the soulful British singer Jorja Smith for the song Ten Cane Row. The album also exhibits works from producers Iotosh, Ziah .Push and Zion I Kings (which consists of Laurent “Tippy I” Alfred, Romaine “Teflonzincfence” Arnett, and David “JAH David” Goldfine).
Protoje’s Third Time’s The Charm tracklist.
- The Charm
- Hills
- Family Ft. Jesse Royal
- Incient Stepping
- Dreamy Eyes
- Ten Cane Row Ft. Jorja Smith
- Late At Night Ft. Lila Iké
- Love For Me
- Here Comes The Morning
- Heavy Load Ft. Samory I
As for the Protoje’s U.S. Tour dates, check out the full schedule below:
- Fri/Sep-09 in Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
- Sat/Sep-10 in Asheville, NC @ Salvage Station
- Sun/Sep-11 in Norfolk, VA @ Norva
- Tue/Sep-13 in New York, NY @ Webster Hall
- Thu/Sep-15 in Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
- Fri/Sep-16 in Washington, DC @ Fillmore
- Sat/Sep-17 in Boston, MA @ House of Blues
- Sun/Sep-18 in Winooski, VT @ Higher Ground
- Wed/Sep-21 in Indianapolis, IN @ Vogue
- Thu/Sep-22 in Chicago, IL @ Concord
- Fri/Sep-23 in Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
- Sun/Sep-25 in Denver, CO @ Cervantes
- Tue/Sep-27 in Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell
- Thu/Sep-29 in Arcata, CA @ Arcata Theatre Lounge
- Fri/Sept-30 in Reno, NV @ Virginia Street Brewhouse
- Sat/Oct-01 in Ventura, CA @ Ventura Music Hall
- Mon/Oct-03 in Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
- Tue/Oct-04 in Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
- Wed/Oct-05 in Los Angeles, CA @ Novo
- Fri/Oct-07 in San Diego, CA @ Beach House
- Sat/Oct-08 in Las Vegas, NV @ Reggae Rise Up