Novel-T touts growth with sophomore album, ‘Survivor’
After an eight-year break, Novel-T’s second album was released on August 17. Survivor is the title of the 11-song set which was officially launched by P And N Publishing.
Born to Love You, her first album, came out in 2016. She pointed to considerable creative and personal growth since that project.
“I think I’ve grown more, not just in talent but in the way you think, your approach and building relationships in the (music) industry. This particular project is light years ahead of anything I’ve done before,” said Novel-T.
Six of the songs on Survivor went to number one on the South Florida Reggae Chart. Those are Keep it Moving, I Love The Way, Love Won’t Let Us Wait (with Peter G), Tough Like A Diamond, Two Makes One and So I Can Love You.
The album version of Tough Like A Diamond is a fresh cut produced by Howard Perry Ricketts, Novel-T’s husband. A trumpeter, he is also one of the musicians on Survivor.
One of the album’s new songs is Crazy Love, written and produced by Hopeton Lindo, who has acted in similar capacities on several of her songs. Last year, their cover of I Don’t Know Much, the Grammy-winning ballad, went number one in South Florida.
Sly and Robbie, saxophonist Dean Fraser, bassists Michael “Mikie Bassie” Henry and Derrick Barnett, keyboardists Franklyn “Bubbler” Waul and Sydney Thorpe, guitarist Billy Johnson, multi-instrumentalist Paul Gauntlett and The Heavybeat Crew are some of the musicians on Survivor.
Novel-T was born in St Andrew parish, Jamaica. Her career started there during the 1990s, performing at pageants and on the hotel circuit.