Zale urges youth to pursue their dreams on new single 'Don't Stifle Dreaming'

Like many of his peers in the current music landscape, Zale wants his songs to find a wide audience — but the singer-songwriter is not about to chase trending riddims to make it happen. He says he prefers to move with patience, the same patience that carried him through his latest release, 'Don't Stifle Dreaming.'

"I want my music to reach people, but that's a marketing task, separate from the creative process of making music. When I create, I try to only think about what is resonating with me in the moment," Zale told Observer Online. "Of course, I will try to add in catchy elements, but that's tuned to my own taste."

Written and produced by the artiste himself, 'Don't Stifle Dreaming' is pitched at young people who are being talked out of their ambitions. Its uplifting feel, he said, mirrors the way he tries to view life in general.

"I feel like so many people I talk to had a dream but chose a more 'realistic' path. Or so many people aren't really fulfilled, but just going through the motions. And I've just always wished more people could follow their dreams and that more people were encouraged to try," he said. "So that's what this song is; it's to light a fire in people that inspires them to go for the life they truly want."

Zale, whose catalogue also includes 'Journey' and 'Sunday,' credits a wide musical diet for shaping his sound. At home, his mother leaned heavily on rocksteady, roots-reggae and American rhythm and blues, while his years at Campion College exposed him to Bob Marley, Junior Gong, Runkus, John Mayer, Erykah Badu and Ed Sheeran.

Through the new track, he is also nudging listeners to put some distance between themselves and discouraging voices.

"First, understand that it's often coming from a place of insecurity or fear within themselves. And ask yourself, 'Do I desire to live in the way this person is living?' If not, then maybe take their advice with a grain of salt," he reasoned. "If I want to be fulfilled in life, I'd rather listen to people who are themselves fulfilled."