Chronixx Backs Up Cleo Sol On Bass-Heavy Reggae Ballad ‘Reason’

Chronixx‘s uncredited vocals appear in Cleo Sol’s Reason, a heartfelt Reggae ballad about faith and love on the British singer’s new studio album, Gold, released on September 29.

The song was produced by Dean Josiah ‘Inflo’ Cover, Sol’s partner, who also produced Chronixx’s 2022 track Never Give Up. It wholly embraces its Reggae influences with a domineering old-school bass line and lyrics reflecting the genre’s once-pervading sense of spirituality and connection to a higher power.

Reason isn’t the first time Cleo Sol has dabbled in Reggae music. Though the singer’s acclaim rests largely on her near-flawless offerings on the Neo-Soul scene, she released the alluring single, Shine in 2020. The Bob Marley-esque-sounding track featured all the hallmarks of Sol’s interpretation of Reggae music, which is – as Reason shows – heavily rooted in the singer’s spiritual awareness. A haunting, multi-layered bass-line puts the track squarely in pace with Marley’s Waiting In Vain, even as it maintains some originality as one of Sol’s earliest cross-pollination of Reggae, Soul and R&B – and even Gospel, to some extent.

Shine, notably, bears further significance for longtime fans of Chronixx and Cleo Sol, who both shared the stage at London’s iconic KOKO venue, in performance of the very same song.

The Guardian chronicled the mesmerizing performance as a stellar showing by Sol, and noted Chronixx’s involvement in delivering the Reggae-influenced Shine. The publication noted: “The more singing, the better,” Sol announces, and the crowd obliges, seamlessly reciting Rose in the Dark’s healing ode to introspection, and the lovers rock-infused Shine, the latter aided by a guest appearance from Grammy-nominated Jamaican artist Chronixx, met with amazement by an already amped-up crowd.”

Additionally, Sol, whose real name is Cleopatra Nikolic, is a member of the award-winning group, SAULT, which pushes the timeline of her and Chronixx’s collaborations further back. The Reggae superstar was recognized for his contributions to SAULT’s album 11, for which they, and by extension Chronixx, copped the Ivors Academy’s Novello Awards.

Chronixx was also notably featured on SAULT’s 2022 EP, Angel. There, the Smile Jamaica supplied the opening vocals to the single, 10-minute-long that completes the entire EP.

Meanwhile, Chronixx has seemingly opted for a less front-facing role in the genre, with the star appearing on Pon Di Plaza last month with Yussef Dayes.