J’calm kicks off 2026 with new album
Project boasts features by Ky-mani Marley, Wayne Wonder, Nigy Boy
Jamaican singer-songwriter and social media sensation J’Calm has dropped his second full-length album, Emotions, out now on all digital platforms
Blending elements of traditional reggae with J’Calm’s 21st century delivery, the brand new album — via K-Licious Music/DubShot Records — includes 13 tracks that boast production work from Grammy Award-winning producers Tony “CD” Kelly and international superstar Sean Paul
It also guest features Grammy-nominated veterans Wayne Wonder and Ky-Mani “Maestro” Marley, and next generation upstarts Nigy Boy and Khalia.
J’Calm also unveiled an official video for the album’s 11th track, Real Love, which premiered on the artiste’s YouTube. The 20-year old Clarendon native flexes his dance skills while preparing a romantic Jamaican roadside dinner for some lucky lady.
“The real love music video is almost the most authentic I’ve ever been on set,” shared J’Calm. “The styling, the creativity, performance…everything. It all came together.”
The video was directed by SAMO, whose credits include Chronixx, Koffee, Protoje, among others.
Emotions follows the recent release of the album’s lead single, which landed on German-based
Riddim Mag’s Best Dancehall Releases 2025 round-up, and has been burning up mixshow airwaves in Miami, NYC, San Francisco, and Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Radio on SiriusXM, as well as the UK’s
BBC 1xtra and Capital XTRA, whose resident reggae selector Ras Kwame can be heard on the album intro.
On Emotions, legendary super-producer Tony “CD” Kelly masterfully crafts a modernised reflip of the storied Answer rhythm — one of reggae music’s foundational instrumentals. For Real Love, he employs the classic Green Apples rhythm. Ky-Mani “Maestro” Marley joins J’Calm on the high-energy Weekend, which harkens the 1990s with a bouncing digital bassline that further exemplifies Kelly’s vision to revitalise vintage sounds with current vocalists who can offer a fresh take.
Other standout tracks on the album include Sweet Love, produced by Jamaican pop icon Sean Paul.
J’Calm and Sean Paul have previously collaborated on 2024’s Call My Name (Remix).
Wayne Wonder contributes vocals on the breezy Downtown.
The hard-hitting dancehall swagger of “Kilimanjaro” finds J’Calm likening the high he gets from his lover to reaching the peak of a mighty mountain.
Closing out the album is They Didn’t Know That featuring reggae songstress Khalia, whose vocals mesh effortlessly with J’Calm’s self-assured R&B phrasings.
“I felt very emotionally expressive and confident creating this body of work, and that’s what it is to me — sort of an emotional release,” offered J’Calm.
The artistes is expected to publish tour dates and promotional events shortly.
Born Jovane Nathaniel Gayl, J’Calm began his music career experimenting with beats and vocals, developing his signature style that fuses patois with standard English.
A major career highlight was his song Tempted being featured on Barack Obama’s 2023 summer playlist.
