Words by Jesse Serwer, Photo by Jason Zucker—
Maxi Priest has never really “gone” anywhere; the singer stays on the road seemingly year round (that’s him backstage at December’s Sounds of Reggae concert in Brooklyn). But it’s been a minute since we’ve heard some new music from the London-bred Lovers Rock champion.
“Easy to Love,” on Colin “Bulby” Yorke’s In My Arms riddim, shows that, at 52, Maxi hasn’t lost any of the smoothness from his late ’80s heyday. The tune’s emergence just before the official start of summer is no accident; the breezy love tune is perfectly suited to the season. Just in case this wasn’t obvious, Maxi’s dropped an appropriately seasonal video for “Easy to Love” complete with the usual fun-in-the-sun Jamaican beach vibes, and some up-to-di-time dancehall steps for good measure. Watch the video and stream the tune below, and tell us if you agree that Maxi’s still got it.