Reggae artist Jah9 returns with a new single, Match, via VP Records.

Building on her previous release, Open Heart, this new song continues her playful, feminine, and mature re-entry into the music scene, delving into themes of submission, attraction, respect, love, and fantasy.

Produced by JLL (known for his work with Drake, Smino, and Masego), Match seamlessly blends reggae undertones with rich harmonic layers, with lyrics that reveal a more risqué and open side of Jah9.

Match serves as the second release in Jah9’s Open Heart Project, a four-part series that explores the stages of relationships — from inception to growth, disillusionment, and reconciliation.

As the song Open Heart served as a prelude, chronicling her years-long journey of self-discovery in Tanzania, Match adds another layer, offering a more nuanced perspective on love.

“Match is a song about courtship, new love, and the standards by which we make these choices,” Jah9 explains. “It’s an ode to the freedom a woman feels to fully express herself in the presence of the right kind of man.”

With its neo-reggae soul sound, Match creates an atmosphere that is both moody and sultry. The music video, intentionally conceptualised and scripted by Jah9 as the first in a series of storytelling visuals, invites viewers into her world through scenes marked by sensuality, vulnerability, and deep human connection.

Building on the success of her albums New Name (2013), 9 (2016), and Note to Self (2020), Jah9’s influence in reggae continues to grow, highlighted by her songwriting and co-production contributions to Kabaka Pyramid’s The Kalling, which won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2023.

Match follows her recent ‘Jah9 in Japan’ tour, where she introduced her distinctive live performances to nearly a dozen cities, including Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima, for the first time this October and November.

The single is now available on all digital platforms.

Born Janine Cunningham in Falmouth, she honed her voice amid the vibrant energy of Kingston, drawing inspiration from her social worker mother and preacher father. Embracing the teachings of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I during her university years, she adopted the name Jah9 and emerged as a key figure in the roots revival movement.