Ding Dong shows his other side with ‘Glory’
Dancehall star Ding Dong said that his highly gospel-infused collaboration with Vanessa Bling, ' Glory', was intentionally aimed at kick-starting his debut album - From Ding Dong to World Ding.
But Ding Dong also told THE STAR that this was a side of him he always wished to showcase through his music.
"For some reason people hear my vocals as a more vibrant sound that is more gravitated to more party, feel-good vibes of dancehall. So sometimes it kinda forces me to just do songs that are happy and just vibrant. But because I'm doing an album, I wanted you guys to really listen to the other side of Ding Dong that was already there but I just didn't get the chance to really display it at this magnitude, and the album was a perfect place to let people hear this side of me," he shared. He said that Glory is a lyrical prayer which is aimed at "connecting people".
"I've been through this but it's a more universal topic where I'm sure that people can relate to at least one line or one verse or probably the whole song, and just to be connected with God - showing that God can lead you through anything and encourage you to be faithful and to have faith in God, because God never give his realest and strongest soldiers what they cannot bear," he said.
He added that Vanessa Bling was the perfect choice for the collaboration in order to drive the message to the heart of fans.
"She has that voice - that crying [tone] in her voice that will let you feel attached to this song," he said. Vanessa Bling called Ding Dong her "musical brother from a long time", but they just never had a chance to collaborate before.
"Collaborations should be done based on chemistry and we both had that. Ding Dong had a story to share of his journey and I did too [and] with my vocals, I think we nailed it," Vanessa Bling told THE STAR.
The video for Glory was released six days ago and has already accumulated approximately 500,000 views, over 26,000 likes and several comments commending the artistes on making the "right choice", both for the context and singers chosen to convey such "positive" message.
Ding Dong said the impact has been tremendous and he is receiving the intended desire.
"I know it was a very powerful song from the moment I recorded it because it was all goosebump on me and everybody that was in the studio that was hearing the song for the first time, and then I send it guh gi Vanessa Bling and she said she had goosebumps too. So I knew what I had was a good song but when the people dem start respond online and mi start get call from everybody - older people, young people - everybody is connected to this song and it's overwhelming to see how people gravitating to this topic from Ding Dong, knowing it's not my usual route through music," he said.
Though Glory was his first attempt at a dancehall-gospel track, Ding Dong said he knew he wanted it to lead his first major project.
"It was the best thing I cudda ever do because it bring that light and blessing and sense of direction through Christ with this album. So it was my deliberate choice," the artiste stated.