Patra Says New Track Signals The ‘Queen’s Return’ (2024)

Interviews

As she celebrates the release of her trackTender Touch, Reggae and Dancehall singer Patra says the project is symbolic of the ‘queen’s return.’

“My hopes for this track is for it to do well,” she toldDancehallMag. “It’s also for women to understand the lyrics, and to understand that not only do they need to love themselves, but to express themselves the way they want to. It’s a beautiful thing. I want it to do very well, and I want my fanbase from all over the world to know that the queen is back.”

Tender Touch, released on March 22, will be part of the singer’s fifth studio album, PATRA, which isset for release this summer.

Patra, who released the Gold-sellingQueen Of The Packalbum under Sony Music’s Epic Records back in 1993, said that she has managed to remain relevant by standing out in the crowd. However, the veteran entertainer also said that she knows how to play her cards right.

“The secret to my longevity is to continue to stay original; to keep growing, and to do the best that I can pertaining to that… I think that when you’re born with a gift and you decide to expand upon it, you should use it to the best of your ability, and when I was not happy I decided to take a break and that’s what happened. So, now that I’m coming back out, I’m just gonna continue where I left off. When it’s not your time, you just take a break,” she toldDancehallMag.

The 51-year-old singer, whose real name is Dorothy Smith, is now managed by Sharon Burke’s Solid Agency Company.

She has had an illustrious career for the last few decades. A testament of her success is the 1993Queen Of The Packalbum which spent 25 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at No. 103. It featured the singlesWorker Man, which peaked at No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100,Romantic Callwith Yo-Yo, which peaked at No. 55 on the Hot 100, andThink (About It)with Lyn Collins, which peaked at No. 21 on the Hot Rap Songs chart and No. 89 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

With such a long line of accolades, it was no surprise that American singer Janelle Monáe sampledWhining Skillon her genre-blending albumThe Age of Pleasure, which was nominated for ‘Album Of The Year’ (AOTY) at this year’s 66th Annual Grammy Awards. For Patra, this was a great honor, as Monáe is a creative that she admires.

“It was a beautiful thing to get the call from Janelle Monáe stating that she wanted to have the remake on this track,” she said.

“Her people reached out to my people, and they did not tell me who it was going to be; but when I found out in the end, I was very happy. It’s a beautiful thing to know that the younger generation and people like Janelle Monáe who I’ve looked up to— ‘cause she’s such a great performer— for her to even go back and check out one of my old school joints. It’s amazing, and I’m very happy that she keeps me current just like the rest of them by sampling it and I love it!”

Patra has secured several collaborations over the years. However, she revealed that she is eyeing joint projects with other people in the industry for specific reasons. “That would have to be Capleton because the man full ah fire, he’s aging well, his lyrical content is positive,” Patra reasoned.

She added: “There are so many people though; Shabba Ranks, Super Cat, Sizzla Kalonji, and I know it’s gonna happen. For sure, one of these guys.”

The singer also urged critics to extend grace to the new Dancehall acts who are experimenting with the genre and their respective sounds. She believes that what is taking place is merely evolution, and listeners should embrace change.

“Well, I’m an old school artiste all the way. But, music has grown with the different generations doing their thing but I will always remain old school,” she toldDancehallMag. “I don’t think too much about that because I’ve taken a break for so long. I was just rehabilitating myself to come back out to give the people some good music. I have Reggae on the album, I have Dancehall, and I have crossover and the people have to judge for themselves. Everybody has their own style, and that’s what’s going on right now… it’s growth.”

Patra also revealed she has a cooking show and a workout series in the pipeline, as well as a huge announcement that will be made soon.