It has been seven years since gospel singer and minister Carlene Davis released an album. That drought will come to an end with the release of her 13th gospel album, Songs of Zion.

The album, the follow-up to 2018’s The Assignment, is a co-production between Davis and her husband and business partner Tommy Cowan.

It is set for release within the next two months via Glory Music.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Davis shared details about the project.

“The album is really taking it to the streets bringing glory to God in a style that the average man can relate to. It’s just a happy album and it’s relatable. In this day we have to remain relatable,” Davis reasoned.

Among the musicians who lent their talents to the project were Dave Green, Dale Brown (bass), Othneil Lewis (keyboard), Dean Fraser (sax), and Kenroy “Shortman” Mullings (guitar).

As for the message behind the project, Davis shared: “The message is to never give up. Age is just a number; never stop doing what you do best.”

Rapha, the first single from Songs of Zion, was released in March 2024.

“Rapha means the god who heals. The song has been doing the rounds and radio stations have been giving it support. It was given to me by a dear friend of ours, Robert Levy. He had heard the song and said, ‘My God, I hear you on this song.’ It really blessed me, because at the time Tommy was challenged health-wise during that period, and we didn’t hesitate to get into the studio to record it,” said Davis.

She added: “The song sets the atmosphere to be encouraged.”

Davis carved out a prolific career in secular music in the early 1980s with songs such as her cover of Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come, Like Old Friends Do (a cover of Abba’s obscure recording The Way Old Friends Do), Stealing Love, and later with Dial My Number, It Must be Love and Going Down to Paradise.

In the 1990s she recommitted her life to the Lord after she discovered that she had breast cancer.

“I was led to reconnect my life when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. That was the turning point in my life. I grew up in church as a child and I knew the Lord, but as you grow older and become an adult, living your life, is like one foot in and one foot out. When that time came I just knew that unless He took control, it was my time to [have a] one on one with Him,” Davis explained.