Jah9, a Jamaican reggae artist, infuses elements of pop and jazz into her new single, “Field Trip.” Jah9, originally Janine Cunningham, was born in rural western Jamaica and has been recording since she was introduced to Rastafari during college. Her breakthrough came in 2013 with her track “Brothers,” and she has released a steady stream of singles since. The song, “Field Trip,” speaks to the escape from repression and journey towards self-discovery that Jah9 promotes through her activism and music, encouraging others to find themselves. The song’s slow beginning and later crescendo parallels a slow-starting journey, later speeding up towards people’s internal discovery, something that Jah9 has clearly worked on herself. The repeated lyric, “Step outside and leave behind worries of that other kind,” reminds listeners to find their own voices, to be observant, and to leave useless troubles at the door, at least when they’re in Jah9’s musical house. An avid poet involved in Jamaica’s progressive poetry scene, Jah9 looks forward to sharing her goal with others so that they, too, can be liberated.
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