Dancehall artiste D’Yani has gained hold of a large female following. Though known for his sultry tracks and suave image, he believes his ability to be vulnerable is what keeps women yearning for more of his music.

“Ultimately, I was just doing music from my heart. These songs that have been written are from my experiences. So, like, for the love songs, I was deeply in love, and wrote songs such as Feelings. Vengeance was when I was deeply heartbroken… I guess ladies or the female audience like the vulnerability which I place in the content itself.

“As I said, it was from a truthful or a very meaningful place so I guess it does strike a chord when they can relate to what I’m saying or what I’m feeling. I think that’s how it spilled over into them becoming fans.,” the singer told the Jamaica Observer‘s Splash during an exclusive interview at the publication’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters on Thursday.

D’Yani, whose given name Andre Chavanie McCormack, attended Wolmer’s High School for Boys’ in Kingston and later earned a degree in international shipping logistics and supply chain management at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU).

In the long run, his love for music prevailed.

“I was doing music from a young age. To be honest, I got into music by the influence of my father; he had a sound system so he used to play a lot of rub-a-dub. His favourite artiste was Dennis Brown and he’s also my favourite artiste,” D’Yani said.

He further said that spending time at the Patrick Roberts-owned Shocking Vibes Recording Studio in his younger days and witnessing other entertainers, such as Vybz Kartel and Popcaan, intrigued him.

“Seeing the likes of major artistes like that really did also fuel the passion of me becoming an artiste and understanding the craft and improving on the craft, and basically living what I love,” he continued.

D’Yani made his recording debut in 2010 with Lovers Go, a collaboration with Eva Hype.

The singer, who is billed for this year’s staging of Reggae Sumfest, says fans can expect a stellar set.

“At the end of the day still, we always try fi bring something new to the table. So preparations has been good; rehearsals has been good as well, and we just ah look forward to Sumfest 2023,” the singer said.

In the meantime, the entertainer is imploring youngsters who admire him to stay focused on their goals and focus on maintaining their own pace.

“Just keep focused and… be yourself. Don’t try to be like anybody else. At the end of the day, your journey is your journey, and your destination is your destination. That being said, have fun, enjoy it, and just live a little,” he said.