Soca star Nailah Blackman to drop second album ‘Born A Diamond (B.A.D.)’ later this year with collaborations from Shenseea and Sadboi; releases first single ‘Feels Like Love’
Soca star Nailah Blackman to drop her sophomore album (Photo: Romario Mckay/Mckay Photography)
Soca princess Nailah Blackman announces her forthcoming album “Born A Diamond (B.A.D.)“ with the release of her latest single, “Feels Like Love,“ featuring Roy Woods, on Friday, March 14.
Produced by Jakey Krumm and Hunter Tomeo, “Feels Like Love“ is an infectious, dancehall-inflected R&B pop track and the first official single from Nailah Blackman’s forthcoming album. She revealed details of the project, slated for release in the latter half of 2025 via Big Money Records, in a new interview with Kyle Denis of Billboard.
The announcement comes during a busy season, on the heels of Trinidad & Tobago’s Carnival, with Jamaica’s festivities next on the schedule.
“Born A Diamond (B.A.D.)” is Nailah Blackman’s second full-length album, following her 2022 debut, "Teknique", and her first since signing with Philadelphia-based Big Money Records last year. The project boasts an exciting lineup of guest features, including dancehall superstar Shenseea, Nicky Jam, Sadboi, and Nigeria’s DJ Obi, who recently teamed up with Nailah on the Afro-soca fusion track "Miss Continental."
“A diamond is something created over a long period of time,” Nailah shared. “I was born into a family of musicians, all very talented, some geniuses in their own right. From the inception of my life, there was never a time where I knew something else… It is symbolic of how I feel about my life and my music and career.”
The sound of the record, meanwhile, promises to expand on Nailah Blackman’s core soca foundation while incorporating influences from across the musical spectrum—an approach she has embraced throughout her career. “I know who I am and I own my identity in whatever genre I choose to create,” Nailah affirmed.
“I know who I am and I own my identity in whatever genre I choose to create” (Photo: Romario Mckay/Mckay Photography)
Nailah Blackman has a busy spring ahead, with performances across the Caribbean and North America. She will headline the Saturday Night Live concert series at the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 12, before making her debut at this year’s Roots Picnic festival in Philadelphia (May 31–June 1), where she will perform alongside All Spice World Dance.
She is also set to make appearances in Jamaica, New York, Toronto, and Las Vegas, further expanding her reach on the international stage.
