22-year-old singer-songwriter Romain Virgo announces new U.S. tour dates and the release of his sophomore album The System, available May 8 onVP Records. Romain Virgo delivers a quality set of dynamic, conscious-themed roots and lover’s rock tales on The System. Each song flows seamlessly to the next and shimmers with the vocal delivery of one of Jamaica’s most captivating new voices. Romain teamed up with Jamaica’s top producers on the new album, including Shane Brown (who produced seven of the songs) as well as Donovan Germain and Viking Productions. During the end of April, Romain will embark on a mini U.S. tour run throughout the Northeastern region including shows in New York City, Hartford and Philadelphia.
It has only been five years since Romain Virgo made history as the youngest winner of TVJ’s popular “Rising Stars” – Jamaica’s equivalent to American Idol. In this short time frame, Romain teamed up with reggae producer Donovan Germain to record several chart-topping reggae hits (“Can’t Sleep” and “Wanna Go Home”), released a stellar self-titled debut album with VP, won numerous awards within the Caribbean community and made history as the first Jamaican artist to perform at Academy of Country Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee.
He continues this success with his second full-length release The System. Recorded primarily at the legendary Penthouse Studio, these 15 lyrically sophisticated tracks offer compelling accounts of the challenges of living the ghetto life. Songs like “Minimum Wage”, “Another Day Another Dollar,” Press On” and “Not Today” are clear examples of the struggle that many face on a daily basis. And on the gritty first single “I Know Better,” Romain cautions the youth to refrain from picking up the gun despite their desperate circumstances.
The album would not be complete without a set of Romain’s romantic antics. His ability to swoon the ladies is evident on tracks like the 2011 reggae chart topper “I Am Rich in Love,” “Broken Heart” featuring Busy Signal, the sensuous rub-a-dub tune “Fired Up Inside” and on a rendition of Adele’s haunting “Don’t You Remember,” which is currently receiving rotation in Japan.
PLATINUM KIDS 