Keida's got the 'Right Moves' on Christina Aguilera's new album

As many international pop stars continue to incorporate elements of Jamaican dancehall or reggae into their music, renowned powerhouse Christina Aguilera has joined the list with her latest album. On June 15, the pop star released her album, Liberation, and the track Right Moves features dancehall star Shenseea, along with reggae-crooning surf-chic singjay Keida.

Keida, a Bull Bay native, told The Gleaner that Aguilera's team reached out to her. "I think it was back in 2016. I was just going about my day, when I got a call from one of her managers saying she wanted to feature me on a track for her upcoming album. Everything was confidential."

Keida received a demo with Aguilera's vocals with what was supposed to be the reggae verse. "Of course, there was a huge rush. I opted to write my own verses and quickly sent off my vocals; switched out the first couple of bars and sent it off again," she recalled to The Gleaner. With files shared in just a few clicks, her vocals were recorded in Kingston at Quick Keys Studio.

Keida entered the music circuit with the release of her first single, Jamaican Boy (2009). The following year, she was invited to sing the World Cup Cricket anthem along with then reigning Soca Monarch, Tian Winter. Since then, her career has taken her from the shores of Bull Bay to perform in venues in the United States and across Eastern Caribbean.

In 2012, she released a 26-track mixtape called Wickedest Ting, but has since switched her focus to roots-reggae. In that vein, she also released her first EP called Ebb and Flow in June 2015.

Though still uncertain if Right Moves will be released as a single, the rising star has high hopes that the collaboration will open doors. "It's a great track and definitely has the potential to be a hit single. I'm currently working on projects with other international artistes for my own project," she revealed.

Later this month, she will release a single called So Much More, from her upcoming album. So Much More is laid over the Gems Riddim (juggling) by Sam Diggy, which was released earlier this month. "I'll be releasing two more singles in the wake of my album, as well as videos for those tracks," she said.