Braintear Spookie Focused On The ‘Sounds Of Tears’ EP

Dancehall artist Braintear Spookie believes that the new directive imposed by the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ) to effectively ban violent musical content, and songs glorifying scamming and drug use, is largely an exercise in futility.  

“The broadcasting ban doesn’t make much of a difference because most people prefer to indulge their time on the internet rather than listening to radio,” he said.

On Tuesday, the BCJ  ordered radio stations to stop playing violent musical content on the national airwaves, songs with sly references to the party drug “molly” and lotto scamming provoking the ire of the dancehall community. He doesn’t believe in censorship, especially as he argues that music is a reflection of life. 

“Artists are just being artists; we are a reflection of life itself, whatever we see happening on radio is what we sing about,” he mused.

The ban comes amid a spike in high levels of violent crime in Jamaica – one of the highest in the world — as the latest Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Periodic Crime Statistics Review, which covers the period January 1 to October 1 show a major surge in murders. There have been 85 more murders for the period, with 1,171 recorded this year, which represents an eight per cent increase over the same period in 2021.

Braintear is focusing on  new project in the form of an EP aptly titled, “Sounds Of Tears.” The self-produced body of work was released under his Braintear Music label, and was officially released on September 15, 2022.

“Honestly, this EP has some sad vibes. I went through something and decided to do this EP so it was all from a personal experience,” the artiste explained.
His debut EP, the artiste has channeled different elements fused with Dancehall to deliver something new to his listeners. Containing 5 tracks in all, the EP includes songs titled “Tuff Love”, “Time Nuh Heal”, “Dweet Mi Self”, “Hard Tackle” and “Trust Issue.”

 “This EP offers versatility. What I want people to take away from this is that I can go beyond the girl songs; I want the world to see what I am really capable of,” he expressed. 

The feedback for the EP has been overwhelmingly positive so far, with the official music video for “Time Nuh Heal” already garnering over 223,000 views since its release. With the good reviews in tow, the artiste is looking forward to seeing how far the project will go.

“I hope that this EP puts me back on top and helps me to open new doors in music,” he added.

Currently residing in the UK, Braintear Spookie has been on his musical journey all his life but officially debuted as an artiste in 2014. His biggest hit to date, “Hurt It Up” which was released in 2014, is the track that started to get him some recognition as an artist. 

A few of his other singles include “Lifestyle”, “Watch Dem”, “Lovathon” and “Turn Up.” Currently in the pipeline for the artiste are more projects, including a collaboration with British rapper Stefflon Don.