Skindred – You Got This

There is no possibility of feeling down when pressing play on Skindred’s ninth album ‘You Got This’. The only thing getting down will be your dance moves. The album is filled with banger after banger! Even the more chilled ska-inspired songs are a vibe and kept me dancing throughout. I think this album has the power to draw in new listeners and tempt people into exploring new genres after hearing such a varied mash-up of music styles. Skindred have superpowers when it comes to making music; their sound is incredibly special and unique. They bring the good vibes, put the metal into ska, the reggae into pop, and everything in between. I’ve never heard anything quite like them, and that’s the magic of Skindred. They bring all these different sounds and genres together to make the most fun, heavy-rocking, ska, metal, dancehall party sound that’s incredibly fun and addictive to listen to.

I got my hands on the album three days before it’s release, but I’ve been dancing and woop’ing around the house for weeks with all the Instagram reels I’ve seen promoting the album, so I was super intrigued and excited to hear what the rest of the album would be like, and I wasn’t disappointed! The album starts on a high with ‘You Got This’ a track that has your back and gives you the power to feel alive and inspired to get on with anything in life from the moment you hear those reassuring opening lyrics ‘You Got This’. It’s a self empowering bop of a track. You just can’t help but dance and feel those happy-feel-good-endorphins when this song is playing. If you are ever having a bad day or your head is in self-doubt mode, turn this track up! You’ll soon be dancing and feeling like you can accomplish and get through anything life has to throw at you! The guitars are heavy, the melody is alive and Benji’s vocals are a mix of reggae, rock and pop. If dance music was metal, this would be it!

‘Can I Get A’ is already a firm favourite in my neurospicy household! We’ve been singing it for weeks. Me and my youngest have been Marco Polo’ing those woops back and forth! This has to be the most catchy song I have ever heard. The entire album is catchy, but this song got me from the moment I first heard it. It’s such a feel-good, fun song that is a total earworm, and I’m enjoying every minute of its existence. This song is a manifestation and celebration all in one. The song looks back to Benji’s childhood living in poverty, not wanting to go down the wrong path like his peers. Benji believed in himself and thought a world of possibilities into reality by picking up a microphone and making music. The song is a celebration of asking for good things to happen, believing they are possible, and seeing the magic come to life when you put in the effort. All three band members share the spirit of this song. Mikey picked up the guitar as an escape from being an outcast at school and Arya was so focused on music that he never had a plan B. This is the most pop-sounding song on the album. It’s still filled with reggae and guitars, but I can see this song going far on the radio and winning awards. It gets a woop, woop from me!

‘Born Fe Dis’ opens up heavy with those nu-metal guitars and soon moves into a fun reggae, dance-hall track that rocks! It’s heavy metal and everything all at once. Skindred was definitely born for making music! ‘This Is The Sound’ is heavy AF! Those guitars hit hard and heavy. Growling in a nu-metal way, think Limp Bizkit but reggae. It’s catchy like a pop song but hits hard with guitars that would rock the Download Festival stage. ‘Broke’ starts very chilled with Benji’s vocals over an acoustic guitar, then all of a sudden those ska beats and melodies come in to funk it up! It’s a catchy, chill, and funky song that makes being broke and having no money to spend seem not so bad after all. I love how Skindred manage to put a positive spin on life’s problems with their music. ‘Glass‘ is a reggae classic with a heavy metal chorus and an elegant piano outro. It’s a melting pot of Bob Marley, Slipknot, and Guns N’ Roses, all mixed together to make the Skindred sound. The song is a memorial to the many people Benji has lost along the way, including his late friend, Black Roots drummer Trevor Seivwright. ‘Big Em Up’ starts like a Mortal Kombat movie. Its dancehall, metal sound makes for a fierce track that would fit well in the Fast & Furious franchise. The lyrics are positively supportive, like family, and the sound is fast and fuelled with energy. ‘Do It Like This’ is a rap-metal, reggae song that starts like the Beastie Boys but hits hard with its metal riffs and a fat bass line. ‘My People’ is an uplifting, heavy metal dance party mash-up!

‘Give Thanks’ is a bouncy ska song filled with sunshine lyrics. It’s the perfect ending to the album. Catchy, uplifting, and fun. It reminds you why this album has been so good and makes you want to listen it all over again. There is a bonus track ‘Dred Or Alive’ which you can only get with the USB edition of the album. I’ll leave you to decipher that one, but it’s good! Skindred are currently doing a run of pre-release shows up and down the UK to promote the album. Check out their Linktree for more info and you can grab tickets here.