KINGSTON, Jamaica — International dancehall group TOK has addressed the pressing issue of global unrest in their latest track Freedom Song.

Produced by Jermaine “Crawba Genius” Henry, it was released on February 14.

Group member Roshaun “Bay-C” Clarke, who was instrumental in crafting the song, noted that the lyrics came about organically because of the pervasiveness of the matter.

“It wasn’t hard to conceptualise this song due to the political climate in the world right now. There are a lot of breaches to people’s right to freedom. Whether it be the war in Ukraine, the war in Israel, or just political divides in different countries— it seems clear to me that people are fighting for their basic rights to freedom, so, that’s what inspired the song,” he told the Observer Online.

The group, which was founded in the early 1990s also comprises Alistaire “Alex” McCalla, Craig “Craigy T” Thompson, and Xavier “Flexx” Davidson. They have managed to earn success collectively and through their individual careers.

Bay-C is optimistic that the group’s effort at spreading positivity will be well received.

“We know that music is the universal language and we know that you can’t fight fire with fire; you have to fight fire with water. So, my ultimate hope is that the song inspires empathy, a conversation of peace, and ultimately brings healing energy to wounds of the oppressed and also inspire the oppressors to be more humane,” he said.

Alex shared that the group’s dynamic nature causes them to explore several themes that are suitable to worldwide audiences.

“The main purpose of us doing music is because of freedom of expression. It’s for it to resonate with whoever hears it. The songs that last the longest are the ones that someone can take and apply to their personal life,” he said, adding that TOK prioritises spreading upliftment through its music.

The group is known for other hits including Footprints, Keep It Blazing, and Money 2 Burn.

Producer Crawba Genius added that he expects great success for Freedom Song.

“TOK is a great vibe and it was an abasing experience working with them. Everything was very transparent, and everybody was on point with everything. As you know, it’s a world group, and the theme of the song is about freedom, so everything made sense,” he said.

— Kediesha Perry