分类： entertainment

One of the music industry’s most decorated and prolific hitmakers, Diane Warren — an Academy Award honoree, Emmy and Grammy winner, three-time consecutive Billboard Music Awards songwriter and Golden Globe recipient — is set to launch a highly unusual new project: a 13-track reggae compilation album titled *Songs in the Key of Diane: A Reggae Compilation of Diane Warren Songs*. Slated for global release on July 31, the collection reimagines Warren’s catalog through the lens of Pacific Island musical talent, who offer fresh covers of some of the songwriter’s most iconic and underrated work. The album brings together a mix of beloved classic hits, deep-cut fan favorites, and never-before-released tracks all penned by Warren, with a diverse lineup of featured performers including Common Kings, Fiji, Pia Mia, Lea Love, and Gramps Morgan, among many others.

In an official statement announcing the upcoming drop, Warren opened up about her longstanding affection for the reggae genre, and how the style has quietly woven its way into her own writing for decades. “I’ve always loved reggae,” she explained. “It’s music that just makes you feel good. My music has always had that rhythmic Caribbean feel, starting with *Rhythm of the Night*. It’s cool to have fresh covers of the old hits; it’s like putting a new set of clothes on them. But I’m even more excited about the songs that haven’t been heard before. There’s such a wide variety of artistes on this record, which made it so much fun to do.”

Warren added that the project grew out of her core belief that a truly great song can transcend any genre. “What makes a song great is its ability to stand on its own two feet, and be able to work in different genres, like reggae,” she said. “If the melody, lyrics and rhythm are there — the bones — it should work in any style of music. I could write something as a ballad and have it turned into a killer dance track. I love taking a song and flipping it on its head.”

The collaborative project is the product of more than 30 years of professional friendship between Warren and Steven Rosen, president of Regime Music Group, who curated the collection. Rosen co-produced the album alongside Warren and Regime/Island Empire co-founders Ivory Daniel and Kevin Zinger.

Gramps Morgan, of the iconic Grammy-winning reggae group Morgan Heritage, delivers a performance of the track *I Wish That*, and he opened up about his excitement to join the project when speaking with the *Jamaica Observer* earlier this month. “Working with Diane Warren and her team was exceptional. When I got the call to be a part of the album I was shocked. I’m just excited to be a part of the project. For her to even pick the genre of reggae and to have me sing a song like *I Wish That* is a blessing,” Morgan told the outlet.

The compilation also includes a historic final recording from beloved late Pacific reggae superstar Fiji, born George Brooks Veikoso, who died at age 55 in July 2025. Fiji delivers his take on *You Kind of Beautiful*, a track originally recorded by country singer Jimmie Allen for Warren’s 2021 project *The Cave Sessions, Vol 1*. Polynesian/Samoan reggae artist Sammy Johnson interprets *I Heart U*, a never-before-released reggae track Warren wrote specifically for this collection.

Other standout tracks include Filipino American singer Eli Mac’s reimagining of Exposé’s 1983 hit *I’ll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me*, Tongan singer Analea Brown’s take on Aerosmith’s 1998 Oscar-nominated blockbuster *I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing* from the *Armageddon* soundtrack, and Hawaiian-born artist MAKUA’s cover of Bad English’s 1989 chart-topper *When I See You Smile*. Hawaiian artist Anuhea puts a reggae spin on LeAnn Rimes’ *Can’t Fight the Moonlight* from the *Coyote Ugly* soundtrack, while the collection also includes unreleased deep cuts such as Pia Mia’s *Hey Haters*.

For Warren, the opportunity to match her unheard catalog with perfect vocal fits from the reggae and Pacific Island music community was the biggest draw of the entire project. “Being able to place these songs with these reggae and Pacific Island artistes so that they can be heard was a big attraction for me,” she said. “I write songs without having any idea about who can perform them, and then along comes an artiste who fits it perfectly. That happened throughout this project.”

Over a decades-long career, Warren has built an unparalleled legacy as a hit songwriter, penning chart-topping tracks for some of the biggest names in music across every genre. Her resume includes DeBarge’s 1985 number one hit *Rhythm of the Night*, Cher’s *If I Could Turn Back Time*, Chicago’s final number one single *Look Away*, Celine Dion’s *Because You Loved Me*, Bad English’s *When I See You Smile*, Michael Bolton’s *Completely*, Toni Braxton’s *Un-Break My Heart*, and Chante Moore’s *I See You in a Different Light*, among dozens of other hits. In total, Warren has penned nine number one singles and 33 tracks that have cracked the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

On April 13, Jamaica’s St Andrew played host to the local launch of a long-awaited biography honoring one of reggae music’s most iconic voices, Gregory Isaacs. Titled *The Cool Ruler: The Incredible Life Story of Gregory Isaacs*, the project is the debut literary work of Peter Price, a Kingston College educator and lifelong fan of the late singer. The event opened with a warm, nostalgic welcome for guests: a life-size poster of Isaacs, the beloved artist who earned his famous “Cool Ruler” nickname through his smooth vocal style and magnetic stage presence, greeted attendees as they entered Triple T Eatery, the venue for the launch.

At 388 pages, the biography pulls back the curtain on every chapter of Isaacs’ extraordinary life and decades-long career, which cemented his status as a global reggae superstar. The book dives deep into the creation of his most enduring hit tracks, including fan favorites *Night Nurse*, *Soon Forward*, and *Love is Overdue*—songs that still receive regular radio play and draw crowds at reggae festivals more than a decade after the singer’s passing. It also does not shy away from the personal struggles that shaped Isaacs’ journey, offering an unflinching account of his decades-long public and private battle with substance abuse.

While the Jamaican launch brought the project to the artist’s home country for the first time, the biography actually made its global debut a year earlier, in May of the previous year, in the United Kingdom. The initial release coincided with a six-show run of *The Cool Ruler: The Musical*, a stage production adapted from Isaacs’ life story that drew warm reviews from international audiences. Price shared that from initial research to final editing, the entire project took two years of dedicated work to complete.

Among the special guests in attendance at the St Andrew launch was June Isaacs, Gregory’s widow, who spoke to local media about what she hopes the book will offer new generations of fans. “I absolutely hope young Jamaicans will buy this book. It’s more than a biography, it’s a piece of history,” she told *Observer Online*. “Our young people need to see real examples of resilience, discipline, and purpose from someone who walked the same streets, faced the same system, and still made an impact.”

For Price, the project is far more than a work of nonfiction—it is a labor of love rooted in decades of admiration for the reggae icon. A graduate of Kingston’s Mico Teachers College, Price grew up in Bamboo, St Ann, where he first fell in love with Isaacs’ music as a young person. Over the decades, he followed the artist’s career closely, and even had the chance to meet him once at a live performance years ago.

The launch event included a book signing session with Price, and the biography carries the official endorsement of the Gregory Isaacs Foundation, the nonprofit organization that manages legacy projects and charitable initiatives tied to the singer. Other notable attendees included foundation president Colin Leslie, University of the West Indies lecturer Dr. Dennis Howard, celebrated Jamaican singer Nadine Sutherland, and veteran broadcaster Donald Phipps, all of whom gathered to celebrate the enduring impact of Isaacs’ life and career.

After facing delays spanning more than seven months due to unpredictable weather threats, one of Jamaica’s most beloved reggae music festivals, Rebel Salute, is set to finally hold its first ever South Florida iteration on April 19. The rescheduled outdoor event will take place at Miramar Regional Park, a spacious open-air venue that already has a reputation for drawing large crowds as the annual host of the Grace Jamaica Jerk Festival, and organizers are now forecasting far more favorable conditions for the one-day gathering.

Headlining the eight-hour performance schedule, which kicks off at 2 p.m., are a lineup of legendary reggae acts including Maxi Priest, Mykal Rose, Louie Culture, LUST, and Chalice. For festival founder Tony Rebel, the anticipation for opening Sunday is nothing but positive, with no last-minute jitters plaguing the organizing team. Speaking to Observer Online, he shared that instead of anxiety, the crew has channeled all energy into meticulous final preparations, dotting every i and crossing every t to deliver a seamless experience for attendees. “The expectation for Sunday is sunshine and bliss. People will come out to the park and we all have a magical moment,” Rebel said.

The South Florida debut marks a major milestone for the 30-year-old festival, which for decades has centered its operations in Jamaica while building a global fanbase drawn to its signature focus on positive, uplifting reggae vibes. “This means a lot for Rebel Salute because it shows how much we stayed in Jamaica and catered to the world with good vibes,” Rebel added.

Miramar was an intentional pick for the festival’s first U.S. South Florida stop, as the city is home to one of the largest Jamaican diaspora communities in the region. Even local government reflects that deep connection: Mayor Wayne Messam was born in Florida to Jamaican immigrant parents, and a majority of the city’s sitting commissioners were born and raised in Jamaica.

Rebel Salute’s path to this debut has not been smooth. The event was first slated for April 2024, before being pushed back to September that year, and then delayed again seven months ago when unstable weather threatened to disrupt the outdoor gathering. That pattern of weather-related disruption mirrors recent challenges the festival has faced at its long-time Jamaica home. Founded in 1994 on January 15 – Tony Rebel’s own birthday – the festival launched at Mandeville’s Fayor’s Entertainment Complex, with the late iconic reggae artist Garnet Silk as its very first headliner. After six years, it relocated to Port Kaiser Sports Club in St Elizabeth, before moving again to its long-time home at Plantation Cove in St Ann in 2013. Most recently, the 2026 staging of the festival in St Ann was scrapped entirely, after Hurricane Melissa caused widespread devastating damage across the region last October, forcing organizers to cancel the annual domestic event.

Four months after losing her premature newborn daughter Miracle to cardiac arrest, rising Jamaican dancehall performer Kizzy Don has opened up for the first time about her devastating grief, channeling her unprocessed trauma into a raw, emotionally devastating new music video for the single titled *Therapy*. The track, co-crafted with Kizzy Don’s partner and Miracle’s father, fellow dancehall artist Kiprich, lays bare the crippling psychological weight of parental loss that has reshaped every area of her life since the tragedy unfolded in Colombia earlier this year.

The heartbreaking chain of events began when Kizzy Don traveled with Kiprich to a live performance gig in Colombia, where she developed unexpected pregnancy complications that forced Miracle’s premature delivery. The infant was hospitalized in Barranquilla, and passed away from cardiac arrest on January 29, a loss that left Kizzy Don reeling from persistent, overwhelming grief that has not faded in the months that followed.

One of the single’s most haunting lines perfectly distills Kizzy Don’s daily struggle: “What did I do? I am living but I am confused.” In an interview with *Observer Online*, she explained that this verse captures the messy, conflicting mix of guilt, sadness, emptiness and anger that defines the trauma of losing a child. “Those lines are the most powerful for me, because that is my reality,” she said. “I am constantly questioning the situation, what did I do? What did I do for this to happen to me and Kipo.”

Even four months on, unprompted waves of tears overtake her without warning, turning her naturally outgoing, sunny disposition inward and straining her public interactions with fans. “I find myself crying a lot, I feel like I am not ready to engage with them, when I see them, I try to hide,” she shared. “I know they want to talk about it but I am so hurt about it, I don’t how to express myself.”

To work through her trauma, Kizzy Don attends regular therapy sessions, and draws on the quiet resilience modeled by her mother, who taught her to keep moving forward through hardship. She added that Kiprich has been an unwavering source of support, both as a partner in grief and a collaborator on the track. Still, Kizzy Don has tried to hide the depths of her pain from him to let him hold space for her strength: “He is trying to be strong for me so I don’t want to give off that energy, so when I want to cry, I have to go to the bathroom.”

Releasing *Therapy* is itself part of Kizzy Don’s healing journey, a deliberate step toward moving past daily grief for both her own sake and her partnership. “I don’t want to be crying everyday, I don’t want the household to be sad, because one person has to be strong,” she explained. “He is trying to get the fun side out of me, but it’s a struggle for me, but this song itself is a bit of therapy for me.”

The track’s accompanying music video has already earned more than 27,000 views in just a few days since its Friday release, a testament to the raw resonance of Kizzy Don’s story. A prominent social media creator with 179,000 Instagram followers and more than 325,000 TikTok followers, Kizzy Don has stepped back from posting in recent months, admitting “When I open the camera, I don’t know what to say.”

Looking ahead, Kizzy Don and Kiprich plan to try for another child soon, a decision she says is central to her long-term healing. “I am not going to truly heal until I get back another child,” she said. “I feel like a part of me missing still because mi don’t have the baby, so anytime I get back a baby, I feel like I can try to look past things. I just want back a child.”

Fans have flooded the comment sections of the video with messages of solidarity and praise, celebrating the track’s raw emotional honesty. “This song touches the deepest parts of the soul….. it speaks the words many of us struggle to say out loud,” one fan wrote. “Pain, healing, love, and strength all wrapped into one beautiful expression. Music like this reminds us that even when we feel alone, someone out there gets it.” Another commented, “Am I the only one crying? It’s like I can feel the pain somehow,” while dozens more left notes encouraging Kizzy Don to continue her healing journey.

Two years after making her runway debut, Jamaican modeling star Dru Campbell has hit another career milestone, landing her first global fragrance campaign with iconic Spanish luxury fashion brand Loewe. The 19-year-old, who is signed to talent agency SAINT International, is the latest face of Loewe’s Spring 2026 Landscape fragrance collection, marking her third major global advertising campaign following high-profile gigs with Dior and Alexander McQueen in 2024.

Raised in Clarendon’s Belmont District, Campbell opened up about her excitement over the new role in an interview with Observer Online, saying the opportunity to lead a major fragrance campaign as an international model feels like an incredible career achievement. “It feels amazing having my first fragrance campaign as an international model, and it will be good for my career moving forward. I hope it will not be my last,” she shared.

Shot against the dramatic natural backdrop of the Canary Islands back in February, the full campaign blends still photography from lensman Peter Jordanov and moving footage from videographer Marc Dimitrov. The collection’s concept draws on the diverse, rugged terrain of Spain — from rolling fertile plains to jagged mountain ranges and stark mineral landforms — to reflect the distinct botanical roots of the collection’s six individual perfumes. For Campbell’s part, she features as the face of Loewe’s Solo Ella Elixir fragrance, captured in soft, golden light as the sun rises over the horizon.

The rising model recalled the shoot as a joyful, collaborative creative experience, noting her longstanding professional connection to the luxury brand. “It was a super-fun shoot with Marc and Peter. Getting into character to portray the vision they had made for an exciting day,” she said. Campbell has already walked in Loewe’s runway presentations four times during Paris Fashion Week, and counts the brand among her favorite industry partners. “Ashley Brokaw and her casting team have always been supportive and I am grateful for that,” she added.

Founded in 1846 by a collective of Spanish artisans, Loewe has grown into one of the world’s most respected luxury labels, celebrated globally for its premium leather goods, high-end ready-to-wear lines and coveted accessories. This new campaign adds to Campbell’s rapidly growing list of career wins: last year, she co-starred in Dior’s pre-fall 2025 womenswear collection campaign, shot on location in Japan, and also featured in Alexander McQueen’s Autumn/Winter pre-collection campaign.

Currently ranked among the world’s top 50 models by leading industry resource models.com, Campbell’s rapid ascent has drawn widespread praise from her team at SAINT International. Deiwght Peters, CEO of SAINT International who has guided Campbell’s career from its earliest stages, says the new Loewe campaign is a direct result of the young model’s consistent effort and dedication.

“Dru has been an exceptionally driven, focused model since she launched on the Prada runway at Milan Fashion Week only two years ago,” Peters explained. “She’s built a solid reputation in the industry for her disposition, charm, and strong looks. She’s barely touched the tip of the greatness that awaits her.”

Renowned fusion reggae artist Stacey Mirander recently stepped back into the halls of her Jamaican alma mater, Clarendon College, taking on a heartfelt new role as guest speaker for the institution’s celebratory Easter Brunch welcoming its incoming cohort of first-form students. The memorable occasion, designed to ease the transition for new learners and build school morale, was carefully curated with elegant decor, thoughtfully plated meals, and an indulgent spread of homemade desserts. Dressed in their most polished formal attire — with several students showcasing self-crafted outfits that highlighted their creativity — the first-formers embraced the stately, celebratory tone of the afternoon.

Beyond sharing words of wisdom with the incoming class, Mirander treated the audience to a live musical performance, opening with two of her original compositions: *People Don’t Care* and *Have A Little Faith*. Both tracks carry deeply resonant lyrical themes centered on resilience, unwavering self-belief, and intentional purpose, messages crafted specifically to resonate with the young students navigating a new educational chapter. She then capped off her set with an impromptu, crowd-pleasing collaboration on Bob Marley’s iconic *Three Little Birds*, joining forces with Clarendon College’s talented student-led school band that had the entire venue singing along.

For the artist, the homecoming triggered a flood of warm nostalgia, as she saw her own younger self reflected in the shy, curious expressions of the new first-formers. “It was like I never left,” Mirander shared, recalling her own first day on campus decades earlier. “I remembered walking up to Stuart Hall for the first time, how massive it felt, how small and out of place I was, surrounded by strangers I’d never met. Looking at these new students, that same quiet, pensive, uncertain energy was right there — it pulled me right back to that moment.”

This appearance is far from Mirander’s first engagement with her alma mater. As a proud graduate, she has maintained deep ties to the Clarendon College community, regularly supporting student and staff initiatives ranging from annual Teacher Appreciation Day events to back-to-school outreach programs for low-income students. Her consistent involvement stems from a long-held commitment to youth mentorship and local community development.

Notably, this marked Mirander’s first live performance on Jamaican soil, an experience she described as warm and effortless, with a gentle breeze drifting through the event space and a relaxed, joyful vibe filling the room. She opened her interaction with the new students by breaking the ice, asking casual questions about their first impressions to put them at ease, and watched quickly as nervous smiles gave way to open, enthusiastic interaction before she began her performance.

The event drew a roster of distinguished guests, including fellow alumna Dr. Melissa Marballie of The Family Wound Care, who donated custom prizes for student engagement activities, and prominent community philanthropist Dr. Joseph Wilson, a long-time supporter of local youth education initiatives. Mirander extended public gratitude to Clarendon College Principal David Wilson, event organizer Shirleen Jackson, school music teacher Wenbert Thomas, the student band, and the entire campus body for their work bringing the day together.

She praised Jackson’s vision for the event, noting it was created specifically to give incoming students a morale boost and a reminder that their future holds exciting possibilities. “It was a gesture to give the students something to look forward to,” Mirander explained, adding that the energy and engagement from the cohort made the day a clear success. The artist also commended Clarendon College’s ongoing commitment to holistic student development, prioritizing events that nurture excellence, creativity, and collective community spirit alongside academic learning. “We need more events like these,” she emphasized.