Ever since modern roots reggae artist Mortimer released his debut EP in 2019 – with the standout romantic anthem “Lightning” – fans have been waiting for his follow-up full-length debut. Now he returns with his newest single, the sensual and passionate “Slowly.”
“Slowly,” along with the rest of the upcoming album, was produced by Winta James (Samory I, Protoje, Damian Marley) and is being released via Overstand Entertainment and Easy Star Records. The production has a “lo-fi/R&B-flavored dancehall vibe,” according to Winta. Mortimer explains, “’Slowly’ is about a woman I’m currently enjoying physically. It’s nice to be loved. It’s nice to be touched, too, and kissed and to be held closely…to be wanted in all the right ways.” All of which makes this track a perfect echo of “Lightning” leading into Valentine’s Day.
Mortimer has been a key player in the current wave of Jamaican reggae, with his own singles building his reputation, along with standout guest features on tracks by Protoje, Keznamdi, Jaz Elise, and Khalia. More recently, Mortimer has been heard voicing over Winta James’s Gratitude Riddim. At the end of 2023, he had a celebrated collab with Samory I on “History of Violence,” which was on Samory I’s Strength (the only reggae album on Rolling Stone’s Best Albums of 2023 list). He also covered a classic David Bowie song (“Soul Love”) on Easy Star All-Stars’s Ziggy Stardub album in 2023. The first single from this forthcoming LP, “Whole Heap,” was released in 2022. Combined with “Slowly,” both songs give a peek into the highly anticipated and deeply personal new album.
