‘The best yet’

Kevin Downswell. Award-winning Jamaican gospel artiste Kevin Downswell says his upcoming album is the most personal project of his career, describing it as his “the best yet” and the most vulnerable he has ever allowed himself to be in his music. Speaking with the Jamaica Observer’s Spalsh ahead of his Pre-Album Launch Worship Experience on Sunday, July 19 at Victory Tabernacle, Bayside, Port Henderson Road, Portmore, Downswell revealed that the unnamed album was largely written during the COVID-19 pandemic, with its songs inspired by seasons of uncertainty, disappointment, perseverance, and renewed faith. “I wrote most of these songs in the pandemic, when we were feeling all the pressure and the battles, the tears, the pain and the disappointment,” he said. “Wherever you are in your process, one song will connect with you.” Asked to describe the album in three words, the gospel minister replied simply: “The best yet.” Downswell said listeners can expect what he considers his strongest songwriting to date. “I think this is the realest I’ve ever been in my songs,” he said. “This is the most vulnerable I’ve ever been with my tracks… and I think this is the best I’ve ever written.” He added that fans will hear pieces of his own testimony throughout the album: “You’ll hear my story in every song. You’ll know that I couldn’t write like this if I hadn’t been through something like this.” The first taste of the project came with the release of Higher (From the Fire) on Tuesday, July 14, an Afro-soca anthem centred on overcoming life’s trials. “Sometimes what was meant to destroy you actually lifts you higher,” Downswell explained, pointing to the biblical story of Joseph as one of the inspirations behind the song. The singer also disclosed that the album moves beyond traditional gospel, blending worship music with reggae, Afro-soca and calypso influences. “I’ve always tried to stay away from limitations,” he said. “It’s a beautiful mixture.” The event, which formed part of the Portmore New Testament Church of God’s 50th anniversary celebrations, served as an opportunity for fans to hear songs from the upcoming album before its official release. “There’s nothing like live performances,” he said. “I’ve worked all my life to make the live experience better than the recordings.” Beyond the music, Downswell said his greatest hope is that listeners encounter God in a fresh way. “I’ve fallen in love with God all over again,” he said. “I just want people to experience His presence and His love. I want God to meet people wherever they’re at.”