In recent years, it seems Spanish Town has become a hub for unearthing some of Jamaica’s most prolific musical talents, from Grammy Award alumni Chronixx and Koffee to dancehall heavyweight Govana, and now another talented aspirant is pledging to keep the banner waving as she makes her foray into the industry. Hailing from the St. Catherine community but now based in Atlanta, Georgia, dancehall songstress July Bailey has been dabbling in music since her formative years as a teenager.
Penning her first recording at age fourteen with the assistance of her two older siblings, July Bailey knew definitively from that moment a music career was her divine destiny. After completing high school and migrating to the United States to complete her tertiary studies, she became more impassioned with the art form and continually kept honing her skillset amid academic pursuits. Of note was her improved songwriting ability which subsequently landed her gigs with numerous noteworthy talents within the industry. However, 2019 was a turning point in her career that saw the unveiling of her first two professional recordings titled ‘Bad Yaadie’ and ‘Paypa’ that would forge the path for her official introduction as an industry recording artiste.
Alluding to her continued pursuit of music and influences July Bailey noted,
“It wasn’t a conscious decision at all. I feel like you can’t run or hide from your destiny, and in my eyes, music was always mine. I’m a huge Tanya Stephens fan. My approach to writing is heavily influenced by her and of course, Vybz Kartel.”
Garnering favourable response across the North America diaspora the talented songstress soon found herself performing on major music platforms throughout the U.S, opening for acts such as Aidonia, Busy Signal, Mr Easy and Afro B among others. During this period, she also steadily amassed a carefully curated cluster of songs that serves as a microcosm of her artistry. When perusing her discography, it is evident that although she is undoubtedly dancehall, she has range, this can be heard in her latest offering titled, ‘Nuh Tell Nobody’, a sound which she describes as ‘Dancehall-Soul’.
“I’m not so much concerned about the hype of it all. I care about refining my artistry because dancehall is a conveyer belt, music on a whole. You can be the hottest thing at breakfast, and by dinner, you’re a ‘has-been’. I put out music that I can look back, and the fans could reflect on in ten years and still be just as impressed by. Longevity that’s the aim.”
July Bailey admits that despite the current challenges being faced by the entertainment industry worldwide with the COVID-19 pandemic she is ready to officially introduce her brand of music to the rest of the globe and preparations are now afoot for an aggressive promotional campaign to increase her presence in Jamaica and other Caribbean states.
