Ziggy Marley Announces 9th Solo Album ‘Brightside’
Nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer Ziggy Marley is set to release his ninth solo studio album, Brightside, later this year.
Brightside will debut as a vinyl-exclusive on April 18 at independent record stores in celebration of Record Store Day. A wide digital release will follow on May 1 via Tuff Gong Worldwide.
Marley, 57, approached Brightside with a creative process entirely different from his previous work, noted a release to DancehallMag. The album was recorded using 432Hz, a “soothing sonic frequency regularly employed for meditation and other mindful practices.” This technical choice was made to bring a “warm, soulful depth to the mix,” underscoring the album’s intent to provide healing to listeners.
Arriving alongside the album announcement is the lead single, Many Mourn For Bob, which was co-produced by his brother Stephen Marley. The track marks a significant first in Ziggy’s career: it is the first original song he has written and recorded specifically dedicated to his father, Bob Marley.
The song evolved during Ziggy’s time producing the 2024 biographical film Bob Marley: One Love. Through that process of reflection, Ziggy gained a “newfound perspective” on his enduring connection with his father and Bob’s lasting global impact.
“Many Mourn For Bob is a reflection on my father from the deepest parts of my heart and subconscious mind born from rediscovering him with new eyes,” Ziggy shared.
The tribute comes decades after the world lost the reggae legend, Bob Marley, who passed away in May 1981 at the age of 36.
In addition to the new studio album, 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of Ziggy’s Grammy Award-winning album Love Is My Religion. To celebrate the milestone, Ziggy has released Love Is My Religion 20 (Live), a live album currently available on all digital streaming platforms.
Ziggy Marley has won nine Grammy Awards overall, including eight for Best Reggae Album, second only to his brother Stephen Marley, who holds nine wins in the category.
His recording career began with his siblings Sharon, Cedella, and Stephen in Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, whose 15-year run produced ten albums, including Conscious Party (1988), One Bright Day (1989), and Fallen Is Babylon (1997), earning three Best Reggae Album Grammys.
Launching his solo career in the 2000s, Ziggy debuted with Dragonfly (2003) and later released several acclaimed studio projects, including Love Is My Religion (2006), Fly Rasta (2015), and Ziggy Marley (2017), which collectively brought him three additional Best Reggae Album wins. His 2013 live set Ziggy Marley in Concert also captured the award.
In 2025, he earned another Best Reggae Album Grammy as executive producer (with Cedella Marley and Stephen Marley) of Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired by the Film (Deluxe), while his 2010 project Family Time won Best Musical Album for Children.