Words by Jesse Serwer
Summer 2019 is less than two months away, and if there’s any justice in the (music) world, it will be the summer of Busy Signal.
Sure, the Kingston-born deejay has had scores of hits in the dancehall core, been a huge presence in Africa for years, and been featured on some massive tunes from Major Lazer. But we’re still waiting for that crossover moment where the whole world realizes how talented this dude is. Sit tight. It just might happen.
Sometime this summer, we’re told, Busy will release Parts of the Puzzle, his first full-length album in seven years, through VP Records. To get things started, he linked us and dropped off “Got To Tell You (Zum Zum),” an impeccably catchy track produced by Busy’s own Turf Entertainment.
With lyrical nods to the Cutty Ranks classic “A Who Seh Me Dun (Wake De Man),” “Zum Zum” is a classic Busy Signal gyal tune that nods towards reggaeton, afrobeats, and other diasporic sounds without sacrificing its inherent dancehall-ness. Interjecting dancehall into other sounds comes natural for Busy, and he’s arguably the best there is at this sort of thing — even if the pop music world still doesn’t know it yet. Soon, they just might. Listen to “Got To Tell You (Zum Zum),” which is out this Friday, April 26 on all digital streaming services, here right now: