Koffee, a 20-year-old Jamaican reggae singer, and rapper is making waves in the music industry.
Mikayla Simpson is a talented songwriter and DJ from Spanish Town, Jamaica. I discovered her music after she won the Best Reggae Album at this year’s Grammy Awards. Her win stood out from the rest for me because I had never seen a young, female reggae singer win a Grammy. After listening to her music, I now want everyone to know about her and her unique, creative expression.
Something that makes her such an extraordinary performer is that she became the first-ever woman to earn the award in the Best Reggae Album category. The category has always been dominated by men and I am glad to see more gender inclusiveness this year. She also is now the youngest person to receive the award in history.
In Jamaica, Spotify and Apple Music are not available so it was challenging for the singer to share and spread her music. Her music also has a very specific genre that many radio stations were not open to playing. She did not accept “no” as an answer and as a result, she learned to pave her way through the “exclusiveness” of the industry.
Her first single, “Burning,” in 2018, led to her debut EP, Rapture a year later. I have never listened to anything like it before. Listening to her distinctive voice and her individualistic and experimental style makes me want to dance my heart out. She has already done a remix of “I Don’t Care” with Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber and I can’t wait for her to release her full album. Please take a listen to her EP and singles, and let me know what you think!