For Tori Lattore, learning to recognise the love already present in her life became the inspiration for a song she hopes will encourage other women to do the same.

Her latest single, Mi Nuh Short a Love!, is a reggae declaration of self-worth, healing, and empowerment, born out of a period of reflection in which the vocalist found herself questioning everything from music to life and love.

Released on October 20, her birthday, the track is also a statement of intent from an artiste who, having spent time honing her craft, is now ready to put her own name and musical identity in the spotlight.

“For the most part, this was really something that I needed at the time as well. For the past year, I’ve been in my head about everything; about music, life, love and all dem things,” Lattore told the Jamaica Observer’s Splash. She said the shift came when she began redirecting her attention from the things that could go wrong to the people who continued to support and encourage her.

“I don’t need to focus on outside factors or all the things weh can go wrong or just not working out, because I have friends, family, people who pour into me, and I should just focus on that,” she explained.

The idea eventually found its way into the studio, where Lattore heard an unfinished rhythm that immediately caught her attention. Drawn to its flow, she began writing the first verse and allowed the song to develop organically.

“I sat with it for a while after that and just vibed and locked in, and the rest came with the melody, and it came out as a powerful statement, and we ran with it,” she said.

For Lattore, the decision to deliver that statement through reggae was a natural one. While her vibrant personality might lead some to expect a dancehall offering, she describes herself as a “reggae doll”, firmly believing in the genre’s ability to communicate messages that resonate.

“Reggae music is message music; it’s powerful, it’s life. I believe it fuels us, and it was just a perfect vehicle for the message,” she said explaining that her appreciation for reggae extends beyond Jamaica. She expressed that through her travels she has witnessed the genre’s international reach and influence. The latter strengthened her desire to contribute to its continued impact.

“When I travel, I see how reggae impacts the world, and that’s what I want my music to contribute,” she said.

With Mi Nuh Short a Love! Lattore hopes to reach women who may be searching for affirmation outside themselves, reminding them that recognising their own value is an important part of building healthy relationships and embracing the love available to them.

“I want this song to be an anthem for women, to empower them, to uplift them, to get them to look into themselves and find a sense of self-worth,” she said. “I believe that with us starting to love ourselves we will realise that there is so much love around us. If you can’t pour into yourself a certain way or uplift yourself there’s no point in looking elsewhere for love. You need to learn what love looks like for you, and that starts with loving on yourself.”

The song’s birthday release added another layer of meaning to its message. According to Lattore, her manager, Niko, suggested releasing music on the day, when her social media platforms typically attract significant engagement.

She was receptive to the idea, and the single felt like the right statement to make as she celebrated another year of life.

“A lot of people pour out and support you on your birthday, and it just proves my message that ‘mi nuh short a love,’ ” she said.

The response so far has left her encouraged.

“Di people dem love the song!” she said. “I knew that there was something about it before it went out that would have made it very special. I didn’t know whether it was going to be slow-burning or a big blow-up, but I just felt it was going to gain traction, and it has.”

For Lattore, however, the release represents more than the reception of a single. It marks a period of greater clarity about who she is as an artiste and what she wants her music to communicate.

“I am very confident, very bold, very sure of myself,” she said. “Before this I was doing music, but I wasn’t really doing it. I knew what I wanted to do but I wasn’t sure of the path, the direction, my message, or my purpose. But I’m very clear on that now.”

That clarity is guiding her approach to building a solo career. Rather than immediately unveiling a larger project, she intends to introduce herself to listeners gradually, allowing each release to reveal another side of her artistry.

Mi Nuh Short a Love! is a standalone release, but Lattore is already looking ahead to more singles, collaborations and performances. She wants to explore different sounds and continue evolving without being confined to a particular musical identity too early.

“I feel like people want to see and hear more from me, and I am going to give them more, but I am going to keep introducing myself in small portions,” she said. “I don’t want to give people like a big project or an EP and then be boxed into something. I want to keep establishing who I am in different ways, with different sounds, et cetera. I want people to get to know me. This is me introducing Tori to Jamaica.”

As she pursues that ambition, Lattore is embracing the opportunity to grow into the artiste she believes she is meant to become. She acknowledges that there is much more to reveal about her musical identity, and she is content to let that unfold with time.

For now, she wants Mi Nuh Short a Love! to find its audience, settle into listeners’ lives and deliver its message before she moves on to the next chapter.

“There’s so much more coming because I am growing and evolving, but I want this single to just sit and simmer for now,” she told Splash.