Jemere Morgan aims high with ‘Higher We Go’

On a quest for his solo career, Morgan Heritage's new lead singer, Jemere Morgan, is ready to captivate the hearts of his audience with his soulfully uplifting single, ' Higher We Go'.

Jemere told THE STAR about the deeper meaning behind the track.

"The song [expresses] that the higher we go, the different things we do and different occasions and emotions we go through, we go higher in love. Fans can also expect a fun, happy energy, something to lift up your energy. Summertime is coming, so I wanna make some love songs for the summer for people, and this song expresses a lot of that summer, fun energy feel. [It] waah mek yuh dance and happy and waah have a drink and just be wid yuh love ones and just enjoy life," he shared.

Higher We Go is dedicated to the deep connection experienced with a beloved partner. It aims to capture the joy of getting to know and explore the depths of love with that special person. It serves as a testament to Jemere's unwavering dedication to spreading love and unity through his music.

"We need to appreciate love; we have to make people listen to music and heal. Music is not a joke thing, the words you hear in music is life. Everything yuh do and how yuh operate is all frequency, so you have to be careful a di music you listen to. And we have a responsibility as musicians to make people feel good, mek dem waah dance, feel sad for a moment; suh wi affi careful how we project that," he said.

The track is a part of the artiste's upcoming album, produced by reggae stalwart Damian Marley, who Morgan described as "one of my biggest mentors right now".

"We've connected on different levels other than just music; [but] musically, he has been helping me in also understanding that what you listen to is what you'll export. So he's always giving me gems like some old-school songs to listen to, even [hip-hop group] Wu-Tang 'to get the little edge to your sweet voice' and how to freestyle on some of these rhythms. And those messages help you as an artiste to grow and give you the edge," he said with a laugh.

Jemere recalled being on stage dancing with his family as early as age five. However, he said he professionally started performing live shows about age 20 alongside his father Gramps Morgan and his late uncle, Peter 'Peetah' Morgan, during a tour in Europe in 2010.

"By time mi father [introduce] me on stage, is like mi whole voice start tighten up; and when mi step out and start singing and di band start drown mi out, that's the first time I realised that studio and stage performance is two different things. I had to work on my craft from then, just watching uncle Peetah and mi fada on how dem entertain di crowd and how dem dweet together, the chemistry and di vocal blend. Trust me, it's like a school of knowledge being around dem all di time; you're always learning, whether it's about life or anything; and mi have a big family, so it's like a big school," Morgan shared with a laugh.

Though born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jemere traversed between Jamaica and America, garnering the "best of both worlds". Having toured extensively as an opener for his family, Jemere has honed his craft and established himself as a rising star on the reggae scene. His solo career began with his 2011 debut song, First Kiss, followed by the success of Sunshine Glow and Neighbourhood Girl. His collaborations with artistes such as Jo Mersa Marley, J Boog, Wyclef Jean, and Stonebwoy, and contributing on the Grammy Award-winning albums Strictly Roots, with Morgan Heritage in 2015, and Kabaka Pyramid's The Kalling in 2022, have solidified his reputation as a talented and versatile musician.