Konshens ‘Can’t Stay Sober’
Drops new single; on his way to happiness
Published:Friday | March 19, 2021 | 12:24 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
Dancehall star Konshens will be very present these next few months with new music, and he’s turning up the sound today in a major way with the release of the hard-hitting, say-it-like-it-is single Can’t Stay Sober. Paradoxically, the message on this Good Good Productions-produced track, the lead single from an upcoming album, titled Red Reign, is quite sobering and a far cry from the “bashment sinting” his fans have come treasure.
With a lyrical rawness and honesty combined with a melodic flow that is sure to excite fans, Can’t Stay Sober is biting with ‘konshousness’, as the artiste shares insights into the toll of the pandemic on society, and on himself. In an interview with The Gleaner, Konshens attributes this higher level of maturity to him reclaiming what he calls his “aggression,” and explains the fascinating link between the album title and his red hair.
Can’t Stay Sober, Konshens’ first release through Ineffable Records, is actually a mood. Konshens makes the point that the song neither advocates for, nor bashes drinking and drug use, but admits that it was written “after taking stock of [his] own drinking, and admitting that [he] might have a problem”.
“I’m making a statement, and maybe people can relate; maybe they can’t. I actually see it not just in myself; I see people around me going through the same experience. The current climate of the world is forcing you into a state where it’s almost like you can’t stay sober,” the Gal a Bubble deejay told The Gleaner. “This is a stressful time, and people are searching for an escape,” he added.
Having assessed the situation and currently taking steps to kick his “way too much drinking”, Konshens remains in control, and that is evident even with the album that he is about to drop. The title Red Reign links his past colourfully to his present.
“Red Reign is basically me in the mode that I was [in] the first time I put colour in my hair back in 2011 or 2012. The hungry, aggressive Konshens who jus’ a go fi it. Aggressively. That’s basically the way I feel right now. Feel like me renewed, in the sense that I have a renewed hunger; mi have something else to prove and me just a approach the business of music aggressively again. Red Reign is me making that statement, that this is the mindset of the Konshens that you will be getting now on this album and moving forward,” he explained.
He is quite comfortable with the deal that he inked for the album with Ineffable Music Group, an entity that owns and operates venues and festivals, and manages and releases music from artistes such as Stick Figure and Collie Buddz. The company launched Ineffable Records in 2019, and has quickly ascended to the top of the Billboard reggae labels chart, falling behind only Universal Music Group. Konshens speaks highly of the Ineffable team and Igor Katz.
“We were supposed to partner on something else actually, on a tour. And then we started bouncing emails off each other, and then I start do some research about the company, and we ketch a vibe. Me and Igor [Katz owner and co-founder] have similar mindset where music is concerned and about the direction of Konshens the brand, and dancehall the brand. And we just hit it off from deso,” he said
Red Reign features collaborations with Spice and a number of surprise guests, and production from Rvssian, Track Starr, Silent Addy and Jonny Blaze. The number of tracks on the album is still to be decided. With the album due to be dropped in the third quarter of the year, the company promises that there will be singles coming out regularly leading up to the release.
Quizzed if he was in a happy place, Konshens didn’t hesitate to answer. “I would say I’m not 100 per cent in a happy place, but who is? Most people aren’t. But I can say that I am 100 per cent on the road towards happiness, and I have a understanding of what I want to achieve, and where I want to be, not just from a monetary standpoint or a business standpoint, but also from a personal [standpoint] as well. I’m on the road towards happiness right now,” he affirmed.
A video for Can’t Stay Sober, co-directed by Konshens and Kenny Gray, follows on March 24.