Teejay addresses the tough topics of mental illness and suicide in I’ll Touch The Sky, released on January 12 on the Damage Musiq label.

The song has an accompanying video directed by Xtreme Arts.

According to statistics revealed by the Ministry of Health, the number of suicides in Jamaica increased by nearly a fifth in 2021 compared to the previous year, but the rate is still lower than pre-pandemic levels, in defiance of expectations.

Music producer Damage, chief executive officer of Damage Musiq, believes that suicide remains an important topic to discuss locally because of the stigma associated with mental illness.

“Teejay is an incredible artiste who touches on a very sensitive and pressing topic for young males: depression. Research shows that between 18 and 21 years is one of the most vulnerable periods in a person’s life especially for young men because we have to make that transition from teenage years to adulthood and that’s when you’re most vulnerable. So this is a very relevant topic, especially now that we’re still in a global pandemic after two years…mental illness is a real problem in our society,” Damage, whose given name is Dwayne Parkinson, said.

A report showed that for 2021, a total of 50 suicides were reported, a 16.2 per cent increase over the 43 recorded in 2020. Significantly, males (43) account for 86 per cent of the reported cases and females (seven) the remaining 14 per cent — a 16.2 and 16.6 per cent jump, respectively, over the comparable period in 2020.

Parkinson has had his own battles with depression, and at one point, he was at his lowest point emotionally and even contemplated giving up music.

“I was investing a lot in music, videos, recordings, the works and I wasn’t getting back any returns,” he said.

Parkinson added that entertainers are even more acutely aware of the pressures of the world and battle depression.

“It’s a lot easier for us, as entertainers, to become depressed because we are in high demand and in the public’s eye at all times. We affi do interviews, shows, we affi a think bout we family, we finances, coming up with the next hit, and it’s a lot to handle,” he said.

Mental illness remains a serious issue in Jamaica, and newspaper reports are replete with articles regarding fatal altercations between mentally ill persons and the security forces and the general society.

“More needs to be done,” Damage said.

Damage has enjoyed a successful partnership with Teejay as shown by the single, Rags to Riches, which has racked up over 32 million views on YouTube, and is considered the number one song in the region on Spotify in 2021.