Royal Blu ADD

Review

Album Review: Royal Blu - Spain Root

06/27/2025

by Jessica Knight

Hark! The artists are sharing their toys. Isn’t that nice? Not only that, but they’re taking turns. First in line is Royal Blu, whose debut album, Spanish Root, will slip down the slide after a gentle push from Easy Star Records. It will be followed by works from other members of the new collective, G.Wav: Akina Eman, Runkus, and Island.Wav’s KaleX & RiddimBoss. G.Wav formed after Blu asked Wav to transform loose tracks into this cohesive album. Runkus, a collaborator of Blu’s since 2017, was invited to the playdate, and suggested the collectivisation. Lastly, Eman got her foot on the ladder of artists supporting each other in the creation of fresh work. So what can we expect from Blu as we stand with our “arms wide open” at the bottom of the slide? 

Firstly, thought-provoking lines demonstrate Blu’s talent as a lyricist. “If I win the argument, then I lose you” is one such line from the pre-released Arms featuring D’Yani. (A word of caution: The last time I saw D’Yani perform, it was with Jah Lil at Kingston’s UNPLGD, end of 2024. A wave of sweaty bosoms, whose owners screamed in Beatles-mania levels of hysteria, threatened to flood the stage. Perhaps Blu and D’Yani should let the Arms video, which is seductive, do the talking. Jamaica needs these reggae new wavers to headline tours, not newspaper articles reading “Talented artists drowned in cleavage”.)

Ok, what else?

There’s comedy, there’s tragedy, there’s danger, there’s romance. In Ten, Blu fulfils Amy Winehouse’s criteria that an album must include a song with a decent punchline. Ten contains several. “Dirty laundry but them clothes clean” vents Blu’s frustration at singers abusing their stage presence to chat f*ckry whilst styling hollow lyrics in pretty clothes. Way Too Fast is a wise reflection on a fatal shooting in Blu’s close-knit community, which provoked his shift to conscious lyrics.

Despite denouncing the badman themes, Blu / G.Wav retains the best of dancehall riddims across many of the songs. The “reggae girls section” contains a song for fellas grappling with unrequited love. Both producing and listening to love songs is a healthy alternative response to rejection, recommended over joining an online Incel group. One more reason to listen to the album.

Each day in the studio Blu responded to G.Wav’s questions: What are you feeling? What emotion do you want to build a riddim around? The results blend many genres, giving something for reggae purists on tracks such as Light My Way, featuring Kabaka Pyramid, and something for Blu purists, who expect the unexpected. The merger goes beyond G.Wav. Protoje features on Life From Kingston, which plaits together all the features of Jamaican music and its spawn – strands of horns + staggered drops + rubber-bounce bass + wicked rapping + layered reverb + slick production = BAM. Life stands out as a something-for-everyone song on this something-for-everyone album. 

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