Alicia Keys Recruits Chronixx & Protoje For ‘Underdog (Remix)’: Listen
Dancehall/Reggae and Hip-Hop are no strangers to each other and they have once again collaborated to produce the remix to R&B artiste Alicia Keys’ new single “Underdog”, which was released today featuring Jamaicans Chronixx and Protoje.
“Underdog Remix”, which is an alternate version to the latest single released from Keys’ upcoming album titled Alicia, starts with a traditional African dub melody or chant and transcends smoothly into the militant sounds of seasoned Reggae musician Protoje, who leads listeners through the first verse. The chorus and second verse are harmoniously delivered by Alicia, who speeds up the tempo in the song’s second verse to deejay over the Latin-inspired beat. After a brief melodic bridge, renowned Reggae musician Chronixx belts out the third verse and expertly switches flow from his usual sultry pipes to thrill listeners with a rapid Dancehall delivery.
Keys said in a statement, “This remix is such a beautiful vibe! My friends Chronixx and Protoje are so incredible, and I’ve always wanted to create something special with them. I appreciate them sharing their gifts with us on this one. I still find so much power in the word ‘underdog,’ especially as a symbol for people who can make it against all odds, and especially now, when we need more than ever to be reminded of our strength and resiliency. We totally changed the lyrics to evolve that feel-good sonic experience.”
This remix, released under American-owned RCA Records Label, is a fruitful collaboration between the three artistes that explores the intrinsic determination needed to dispel external doubts that may affect one’s ability to achieve their goals.
Similar to the message conveyed in Dancehall artiste Baby Sham’s “Ghetto Story”, featuring Alicia in 2006, “Underdog Remix” defends the human ability to fight the odds against them to chase and realize one’s dreams. The song, which already has over 14,000 views on YouTube since its premiere early this morning, is expertly written by Alicia in collaboration with five contributors including popular English musician and songwriter, Ed Sheeran.
It’s seamless and professional production was jointly engineered by Jamaican producer IzyBeats – who produced Koffee’s hit Reggae single “Toast” – and London-based Nigerian producer Pro2Jay aka P2J.
Keys officially announced the release of “Underdog Remix” with a 38-second video uploaded to her Twitter and Instagram accounts on Wednesday showing herself, Chronixx, Protoje and her production team in the studio crafting the new single.
Both Chronixx and Protoje responded to the announcement a day later through posts to their accounts. Chronixx uploaded the same video to his Instagram profile with the caption, “Worriz in the dance”; and Protoje replied to Keys’ announcement on Twitter saying, “Bless up again Queen. More progress for Jamaican music. One more again bro @ChronixxMusic”.
Alicia is scheduled for release on May 15, 2020, and is expected to feature 15 tracks, three of which have already been released – “Show Me Love” and “Time Machine” in 2019 and “Underdog” earlier this year in January. The release of the new album was officially announced on January 20 when Keys uploaded the cover art for the upcoming album to her Instagram page.
Listen to the “Underdog (Remix)” below.