Story of the Song | Samory-I's 'This Feeling' created from a sound check

In March 2018, while in Germany on his Black Gold tour (named after his debut album, released in mid-2017), singer Samory-I was called on stage yet again. Although the band was in place, the introduction was not done with a professional MC's flourish. Neither was he greeted with the cheers of an eager audience. And he did not sing one of the songs from the album, which includes Rasta Nuh Gangster and a remake of Is It Because I'm Black.

"I was doing a sound check with the band to get the sound right for the show later. They called me from backstage, and they played a beat, and I started singing over it," Samory-I said. He sang a new song, so new that it came to him as he stood there singing into the microphone. With some adjustments, it turned out to be This Feeling, later to be produced by Rorystonelove, and officially released on December 7, 2018. Samory-I's road manager, Dave Clarke, contributed to the edits to create the final lyrics from the love song. The choice of topic came naturally to Samory-I as he said: "Me always a feel love. I was feeling love at the moment. Plus the beat was a soft one."

EMOTIONAL DEPTH

Similar to the song being created in everyday circumstances, This Feeling finds emotional depth in the otherwise ordinary, Samory-I singing:

"Put on mi shoes them early

I'm coming to see you baby ... ."

The elements play a role as he sings:

"rain a fall pon de zinc house top/When

the nights them cold ... ."

Although the song came unexpectedly, its potential was immediately recognised, and the idea was recorded and sent to producer Rorystonelove while Samory-I was still outside of Jamaica. By the time he returned, the rhythm had been laid by Bubbler (keyboards), Danny Axeman (bass guitar), Kirk Bennett (drums), and Gizmo (guitar), with Rohan Dwyer engineering the audio. Samory-I's confidence in This Feeling was buoyed by the reaction he was getting outside of Jamaica even before the recording. "That is why I record it - the reception I get from the people," he said.

After This Feeling was recorded, Samory-I continued to perform it in Jamaica and reports similar results. "The response has been similar, especially with the girls in the audience a scream," he said.