JAH9 SHARES ‘THE OPEN HEART PROJECT’
Jah9 released The Open Heart Project in full on March 27, via VP Records. First introduced in chapters beginning in 2023, the project brings together four original songs and their corresponding reinterpretations, alongside a set of visuals into a complete sequence.
Jah9 draws on a profound personal and existential shift in The Open Heart Project. In 2020, after an East African press tour in support of her last studio album Note to Self, Jah9 was unable to return to Jamaica as global shutdowns took hold. She traveled from Ethiopia to Tanzania, where what was meant to be a short stay extended into three years. During that time, she absorbed an unfamiliar culture, explored her inner world more deeply, and birthed her first child, experiences that inform the project.
Across its four core songs, the project traces a relationship from first contact through disillusionment and reconciliation. “Open Heart” is a jazz-laced meditation on self-discovery after years of soul searching, leading into “Match,” a moody take on courtship and expression in the presence of the right person. “Hurricane” shifts the perspective, where fantasy gives way to reality, before “S.E.X.” brings the cycle full circle, exploring what the “best SEX ever” alluded to earlier requires. The visuals move alongside the songs, extending the narrative.
Each original track, produced separately by Winta James, J.L.L., and Iotosh, is paired with a reinterpretation by Lisbon-based producer Shaka Lion, who reworks Jah9’s songs while weaving in elements from Hugh Mundell, Wayne Jarrett, and other reggae trailblazers. Sound system figure Rorystonelove appears across the reinterpretations in an MC role, reconnecting with Jah9 after producing her debut album New Name.
In February 2026, Jah9 appeared at Kingston’s Lost in Time Festival and joined the Rastafari Relief, Rebuild and Rise fundraising webathon supporting communities recovering from Hurricane Melissa. She is also set to perform at Reggaeland UK, which runs from July 31 to August 2, and Reggae on the River, taking place from August 14 to 16.
The Open Heart Project will be available on all digital platforms on March 27.
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TRACKLIST
01 Open Heart
02 Mind Ripples
03 Match
04 Big and Serious
05 Hurricane
06 Category 9
07 S.E.X.
08 Set the Stage