Bulby York, or should we call him the ‘Master Blaster’ by now, is at it again, with a brand new power track. A true Dancehall hit called “QUEEN” featuring Malica and Tanya Stephens, released on Bulby York Music, is available for preorder on May 6th, hits the airwaves on May 20th. Wme are sure this is, again gonna be ‘Epic & Ting’ again.
The Award-winning producer and engineer Collin ‘Bulby’ York believes that women should have more of a voice and presence in Jamaica’s music industry. It is natural that he would pair two dynamic women, talented singer/songwriter Malica Stallworth and Dancehall icon Tanya Stephens, to drive the lead single for his untitled new album. “Queen,” set to hit all platforms on Friday, May 20th, is a pulsing collaboration between these two powerhouses that encourages women to affirm their royalty, stand in their own power, and define their own paths.
“It is fitting for us to glorify the women around us,” says Bulby. “We often overlook the importance of females, of what they have to offer. We treat them as if they are less than when in reality they do so much more and accomplish more with less support and recognition.”
Malica, who was featured on the single “Wiggle Wiggle” with Beenie Man on Bulby’’s Heartcrafted album in 2020, was inspired to write “Queen” after experiencing the disrespect shown to women, especially women of color, on public platforms, particularly social media. She was disturbed by the ways in which black women as a whole are judged and treated based on the actions of a small handful.
“If you listen to my verses, you’ll hear affirmations – ‘I know I am worthy, divine, and royal’ is an affirmation for women,” Malica says. “One of the first lines I wrote was ‘mind your manners when you talk to a Queen.’ The one thing I want women to take away from this song is to not allow yourself to be separated from your royalty.”
The collaboration with Tanya Stephens was a welcome surprise to Malica, who feels that a lot of her work as a writer and singer comes from being raised on Tanya’s music. Malica cites “Who is Tanya,” from the highly acclaimed 2006 album Rebelution, as another source of inspiration for her writing on “Queen.”
“After I put down my part, I said to Bulby that it would be amazing if Tanya was on this track,” Malica recalls. “A few months later Bulby was like ‘guess what…listen to this voice.’ It brought tears to my eyes.”
Malica’s daughter, budding social media star and Queen-in-training, five-year-old Nailah ‘Nailah Star’ Stallworth, is featured in the single’s cover art.
“It was Bulby’s idea to use Nailah on the cover, and I am so proud and happy to share this experience with her,” says Malica. “I’ve been teaching her that anything she does is going to be powerful because you are going to do it naturally. You be can be loved by the masses by just being yourself.”
Artist: Bulby York
Song: Queen
Label: Bulby York Music
Distributor: VPAL Music
Release date: May 20, 2022
