International recording artiste Gyptian is amped that his newest project, the Guarded EP, his first album released in over a decade, has debuted at #3 on the USA Reggae iTunes chart.

“It’s a great look. I’ve been working on this album for two years with one of my main producers, Junior ‘Chambah’ Stevens. We have produced a lot of great tracks, we could hardly choose which tracks to use for the album because they are all great songs,” he told Observer Online.

The album has 27,000 streams on Spotify. It was released on July 26 on the Silverbirds Records label via VPAL Music.

The EP features singles like the lead song, Guarded, My Woman, Together We’re Stronger and Let Me Down featuring Teebone. The album was co-produced by Dean Barnett and Junior Stevens, the principal owners of Silverbirds Records.

“The theme of the album is that in this life, you have to be guarded but not locked away, I am protecting my energy, even while sharing my soul. My guard is up but my music is real,” Gyptian said.

The track, My Woman, has racked up 15,000 streams on Spotify so far.

“A video for Let Me Down was released on Friday (July 26) as well. The Let Me Down song features Teebone and is my way of just showing that this is the new generation and we have to keep the spice while also giving guidance at this time. We are two prodigies from the garrison, greatness comes from within and the contrast between our two styles creates a unique blend for this song,” he said.

Gyptian is now in the United Kingdom where he will be doing two shows before heading off to do other shows in Europe. These included the Reggae Land Festival, Reggae Rhythm in Wales, Gyptian Live in Liverpool and the Rotterdam Carnival in the Netherlands.

In 2010, the global impact of Hold You launched Gyptian to international fame, transforming him from a modestly followed artiste into a reggae sensation. The song eventually reached a peak of 77 on Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 3 on the Heatseekers Songs chart, 31 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Chart, 63 on the Radio Songs chart and an astonishing peak of 28 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40,

By that point, the Jamaican artiste had already built up steady momentum with tracks like Serious Times, showcasing his smooth voice and poignant messages.

Gyptian released his first album My Name Is Gyptian on VP Records in September 2006. His second album, I Can Feel Your Pain, was released in November 2008. Gyptian’s third album Hold You reached number 2 on Billboard’s Reggae Albums Chart in 2010. In October 2012, Gyptian released the SLR EP, which included three tracks from his forthcoming album.

His fourth album Sex, Love & Reggae was released in October 2013 and entered the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart at number one.

Gyptian’s fifth album, Nothing to Lose, was set for release in April 2015, but never got released

Now, two decades into his career, Gyptian continues to innovate, blending classic roots reggae and dancehall with fresh sounds. He believes that his Guarded EP, his first album in over a decade, will connect with music fans.

“My soul is open to what the universe has in store for me even though my heart is guarded,” Gyptian joked.

“Regardless, you always have to protect your energy.”