Jamaican artist Intence released his debut album, VOYAGE, on January 1 via VP Records. The sixteen-track project culminates a New Year’s Day tradition he began in 2018, kicking off each year with a new release for his fans. It also debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Reggae Albums chart in the US.
The album draws heavily from Intence’s upbringing in the Tavern district of Papine, a gritty community on the eastern edge of Kingston. Life there informs the record’s recurring concerns with survival, ambition, and the long reach of trauma. The project includes the previously released singles “LESSON,” “B.P.P.E.,”and “LIKE U,” alongside collaborations with Bad Boy Timz, Tarrus Riley, Jah Cure and Tabeta Cshae. “POVERTY,” his collaboration with Tarrus Riley, debuted on Spotify’s New Music Friday US playlist.
Intence’s catalog has drawn attention across the music press.
REVOLT spotlighted him as part of a group of artists helping define dancehall’s current direction, while
Billboard highlighted his releases in its monthly roundup of rising reggae and dancehall tracks.
Jody Rosen of
The New York Times described his single
“Yahoo Boyz” as “the biggest dancehall smash of 2021.”
