Portuguese reggae artist Richie Campbell released his third album In the 876 on May 1st in the US. His latest double single is for the tracks “Best Friend” and “I Feel Amazing.” Both great reggae tunes but I prefer “Feel Amazing.” That’s more my style. You can listen to the tracks below.
Or you can watch the music for “Best Friend,” which came out back in the Winter.
Incredibly popular within his home country, and increasingly recognised in the reggae scene worldwide, Portuguese sensation Richie Campbell presents his third album, ‘In the 876’.
Having surprised fans with its unexpected European release on 4th May, it went straight to the top of the Portuguese iTunes Charts within 2 hours. UK tastemakers were also quick to pick up on the album’s strengths, with BBC Radio 1Xtra’s David Rodigan giving tracks such as ‘Best Friend’ and ‘I Feel Amazing’ significant airplay after its release.
To celebrate the European launch of Richie’s latest album, he appeared alongside Rodigan at a special event supported by Red Bull Music Academy, which acknowledged the technical and cultural impact of the soundsystem on Jamaica and beyond.
An album that was recorded between Kingston and Lisbon, its title actually refers to the telephone area code of Jamaica. Collaborations with several high profile artists solidify Richie’s reputation on the international reggae circuit: appearing here on ‘Get Over You’, Toian recently featured on a track with roots reggae artist Protoje, while fellow Lisbon resident Sara Tavares (‘Knock Me Out’) has won a Portuguese Golden Globe. ‘Feels Like’ even features Agent Sasco (also known as Assassin), who has provided vocals for the likes of Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar.
Having performed in bands since 2004, Richie decided to focus on his solo career in 2010, releasing his debut album ‘My Path’ as a free download. The record was a runaway success with over 250,000 downloads, and led to a sold-out show of Lisbon’s Campo Pequeno Bullring – one of the largest venues in the country.
Richie built on this success with his follow-up album ‘Focused’, whose lead track, ‘That’s How We Roll’, was awarded ‘Song of the Year’ at the National Radio Awards and received a nomination for the Portuguese Golden Globes in 2013. The album held a no. 1 spot on the Portuguese Charts for six weeks, confirming his status as one of the country’s biggest and most successful artists.
Richie later returned to the Campo Pequeno for a recorded performance distributed by Sony Music. UK fans will be lucky enough to have the chance to see Richie’s electric live show and enjoy tracks from ‘In The 876’ at The Garage in Highbury on 29th July.