Samantha J returns with ‘Love Me For Me’

Reggae-pop songstress Samantha J is back with a refreshed energy and drive to revitalise reggae music and thrill fans, following the release of her new single, Love Me For Me.

During an exclusive interview with THE WEEKEND STAR, the singer revealed how she conceptualised her new track.

"I actually wrote it a few years back when I was going through a situation and I wanted to know like really if the person I was dealing with was loving me for who I am and not for what I have or how mi look," she said. "You never know what somebody really wants you around them for, and I'm a lover girl. So when I take up a relationship, I expect it to last forever. I was in a situation where I wanted the person to love me for me and that's what the song is about," Samantha J shared.

Released with sparkling pool-side visuals and gorgeous shots of Samantha J showing off her toned bikini body, the video is generating a huge buzz online since its release just over a week ago. The 28-year-old said with a message of boosting one's self-esteem and valuing yourself also being explored in the single, she believed it was the perfect timing.

"When I was younger, I wish I had someone who taught me more about that because I wasn't thinking about knowing if someone loved me for who I am and you get lost in it and you don't want to influence the younger people to do anything that's going to bring down their morals or tear them down. You need to grow people's self-esteem and I'm speaking from experience," she stated. She expressed great excitement in releasing part two to this single, a dancehall-pop fusion titled, Don't Call Me.

Samantha J, given name Samantha Gonsalves, is best known for her 2013 smash hit, Tight Skirt, a sample of dancehall/reggae artiste, Red Rat's Tight Up Skirt, which saw her topping several international charts. However, following a five-year hiatus off the music scene after giving birth to her son Trillion, she said the warm reception being back on the block feels like a "fresh, new artiste".

"I came at the scene this time like I'm just starting again because the last single I put out was a couple years ago called Push Ya Luck and now I'm back with a banger... . So, I think the reception and the way people are taking it is like 'Wow, it's a new artiste' and if they know of me already, they're like 'Yes, she's back and she have it again,'" she said.

"[ Love Me For Me] is doing really well, which I'm happy about because I wrote this song all by myself, and when I was writing it, I cried and it's good to see that people are receiving the emotions," Samantha J added.

She said one of her greatest desire is to reintroduce reggae at the forefront of all musical genres.

"This song not only shows my versatility and talent, but also, I believe that it's a very catchy hook, and the hook itself has the [possibility] of going viral, and spreading the reggae music back again, bring back Jamaica. Right now, the Afrobeat and reggaeton [genres] are more taking the shine. So, I honestly just want to stay with my authenticity and make sure I'm sharing that back with the world. I believe that it will help keep Jamaica on the map and shine some light in some places that have been shadowed," she reasoned.

"Most of my music that I do is always influenced by Jamaica because I am Jamaican and you can't take that from me, no matter where I go" she added.

While the bubbly superstar is leaning more to her softer side, she believes that it not only allows her to tap into her inner self and her realities but also adds a "refreshing touch" to the music scene that she thinks is lacking. The singer also promises to release an EP or an album in the near future.