Pop-reggae is generating worldwide excitement – greeting the newfound demands of international pop-music fans and radio audiences. And last Tuesday, Canadian singer Teri became the latest in a surge of North American artists to decorate airwaves with new, reggae-infused Caribbean music. Teri released her new single, “Breathless Kiss,” Tuesday, October 21, 2014 for pre-order on iTunes. The single will officially be released November 11, 2014.
Teri’s new single, produced by Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor, combines the merriment of a beachfront party with the sensuality of a midnight tryst – penetrating the music industry with the same pop-reggae delirium that scored Billboard hits for pop stars Magic!, Maroon 5 and Musiq Soulchild during the past year.
As an eclectic artist, Teri most enjoys the creative freedom that pop-reggae represents – the prismatic ocean of possibilities that mixes pop melodies, Caribbean rhythms, jazzy inflections and rave-style vibrancy.
“I love the concept of pop-reggae, it leaves so much to my imagination,” said Teri. “That fusion of musical styles – it gives me an exciting feeling, because it means I can expand outside of the norm.”
Producer Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor is the creator of the modern pop-reggae motif, having scored Billboard and iTunes Top 40 chart rankings in connection with his 2013 album, “9INE,” with Grammy Award-nominated singers Musiq Soulchild and Syleena Johnson. Most recently, McGregor produced four tracks for pop superstar Sinead O’Connor’s new album, “I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss,” which peaked at number 83 on the Billboard 200 chart this summer.
Teri’s new single advances McGregor’s pop-reggae identity on an international scale. McGregor is currently recording a diverse roster of singers – pop celebrities and up-and-coming vocal stylists from the United States, England, Norway, Canada, France and Australia who share McGregor’s desire to expand the creative boundaries of pop music.
By recording Teri, McGregor is participating in the emergence of the most recent Canadian artist to amplify pop-reggae across national borders.
“When I first heard Teri’s voice, I could hear something unique about her,” said McGregor. “I heard her sound and her style, and I said, ‘Wow.’ I listened to her song 20 times. I immediately went in the studio and started laying tracks, until I came up with the sound that we both would like.”
Born in Jamaica, Teri recalls singing from an early age, most notably in the church and at school. She has worked with a number of heavyweights in the reggae industry, and already has a stable catalogue of tracks in her repertoire.
Having resided in the UK for a significant period of time, she draws most of her inspiration from Brit-pop artists Jessie J and Emily Sande, along with American celebrity singers Beyonce, Rihanna, and Katy Perry – and she wants her listeners to luxuriate in the fruit-flavored melodic styles that her influences have inspired in her sound.
“Breathless kiss started with the riddim,” said Teri. “The riddim gave me that sensual feeling. It allowed me to be creative with it. The delivery that you hear – it’s based on the pop artists Jessie J and Emily Sande. I love the way they write and how they deliver. They influenced the way I recorded this song in particular. Emotionally, I want listeners to be in tune with the story in the song – in tune with the sensuality of it, and to embrace the song for what it is. It’s meant to make you feel good and to lift your spirits – that's what pop-reggae is all about.”