Producer Dale Virgo recently connected with recording artist Twinkle Brain to drop their summer banger, “Number One”. Released through Virgo’s DZL Records on July 27, the track came about after the two scheduled a meeting in the Dizzle Lab. After playing around with some lyrics and riddims, they’ve managed to create a few songs together with “Number One” giving them the urge to release it to the public during the summer season. Dale “Dizzle” Virgo is a young record producer, audio engineer and musician who has produced many top chart songs, compilations and albums in both the local and international music industry. Dale was born in Kingston but grew up in Portmore, St Catherine and attended Excelsior High School. Over the years, he has been part of notable projects such as, ‘Crazy Little Thing Called’ Love by Rihanna, ‘Serious Times’ by Gyptian, ‘Rehab’ by The Jolly Boys, ‘Mama’ by Christopher Martin, and ‘Somewhere’ by Chronixx among others.
During his time spent at Geejam Studios, Dale has worked with a number of high-profile acts such as Drake, Amy Winehouse, Florence and The Machine, Sean Kingston, Cee Lo Green, Harry Styles and Kendrick Lamar. Twinkle Brain was a contestant in the 2012 staging of the “Magnum Kings and Queens” competition.
He was also featured in Rihanna’s “Man Down” music video, and has released several singles through various labels. Together these two well-travelled talents have combined the production and vocal skills to deliver a sweet-sounding summer Dancehall anthem.
The world has been in the midst of a dancehall revolution for quite a few years now. And Jamaican artists are bringing a renewed, edgy-yet-radio-friendly version of dancehall to a global stage, while pushing the genre to new crossover heights.
It’s no surprise that Dale Virgo and Twinkle Brain decided to surprise-drop a dancehall track in the summer 2018: the moment is ripe for an artist who has always shown a true affinity for the genre to take the dive into the clear turquoise waters of Afro-Caribbean delight.
They flirt with the sunny, upbeat melody and syncopated riddim, meshing Twinkle Brain’s signature summery pop vocal hooks with authentic dancehall production, courtesy of DZL Records founder, Dale Virgo.
His effortless, catchy, and almost soothing production style gives “Number One” not only the mainstream seal of approval, but a quality of consistency, sprinkled with genuine brilliance at times. The song is almost laid back, minimal, and light as air, letting Dale’s unencumbered essence shine that much brighter.
While Dale Virgo’s production work is admittedly a crucial part of why “Number One” feels so fresh, it is also an enticing showcase of Twinkle Brain’s musical roots, and his tropical flair which sets him apart from his genre peers.
His sweet and salty vocal mélange is immediately appetizing, and together with the song’s earworm chorus, makes it both a club and radio-ready track. Further illustrating that “Number One” isn’t a mere toe-dip into the genre, but an authentic experience. Here’s hoping they achieve the levels of success owed to their talents, with this release.
