Complex Ricki and Shane O Drop Summer Dancehall Single Different Ways

Complex Ricki may have struck the record that elevates her standing in dancehall. The quickly ascending artiste is drawing notice with Different Ways, a heated joint project with Shane O that is earning solid radio play and online chatter, fast emerging as one of the season's most talked-about dancehall offerings.

The release pairs lively Afro-dancehall grooves with witty lines and a spark between both voices. It has already reached playlists on some of Jamaica's top radio stations and is steadily picking up steam on TikTok and Instagram.

"So far the feedback has been amazing," Complex Ricki said. "I'm getting a lot of messages about how much people love the sound Shane O and I created together. Ever since I posted the first snippet on Instagram, the song has been gaining new supporters every day."

Response came so fast that the two did not wait long before rolling cameras on an official video. "The buzz was crazy even before the song came out. So we knew we had to shoot a video," she said. "Shane O has always been easy-going and supportive, so working with him was a great experience."

The visual reflects the track's playful give-and-take between two past lovers willing to swallow pride and try again. "It's about admitting you miss someone you've shared history with," Complex Ricki explained. "It's realising you're not perfect either and wanting to make things right."

Shane O said the link-up felt almost destined. He remembered first hearing the singer on a school tour after a mutual friend brought them together. "I heard this sweet voice singing and immediately thought, 'I'd love to do a song with this girl'," he said. "We linked up in the studio, and everything flowed naturally."

For Complex Ricki, no other collaborator fit the bill. "When I wrote Different Ways, I already had Shane O in mind because I knew what kind of writer he is," she said. "He came into the studio, wrote his verse, and immediately I knew we had a hit."

The single also serves as a preview of her forthcoming reggae EP, a body of work she says combines reggae with an "Afro-dancehall swing" that stretches her range while holding to her roots. "My core audience is getting what they know me for, but in a completely fresh way," she said. "Judging from the response to Different Ways, I think we definitely made the right choice."