Santigold has snap-released her dancehall mixtape, I Don’t Want: The Gold Fire Sessions, produced by Mixpak Records founder Dre Skull. In her first release since 2016’s 99¢ album, the project came together with old, unfinished beats from Diplo and Ricky Blaze.

Announced just one day prior, Santi White opted to go with a swift release strategy to mimic current music consumption trends. She told Rolling Stone, ““I don’t think people necessarily digest music in the same way. So I’m going to do fun stuff for a minute, a different way. I have another EP I’m about to do with someone else that’s going to be really fun and fast.”

The Philadelphia-native singer and producer carries a casual, cool, rhythmic tone throughout the project, primed for leisurely poolside kicking. It’s a swaggering summer reggae record, that manages to incorporate compelling social commentary atop sunny island grooves. To top everything off, she recorded the album while pregnant, finishing her last track and the album’s titular “Gold Fire” just a week before the baby’s due date. Santigold will also perform select dates on Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 20th Anniversary tour.

Tags: Dancehall, diplo, Dre Skull, Mixtape, santigold, surprise

Categories: Music