We Speak Gospel
Kevin Downswell Goes “Higher (From the Fire)” on New Afro-Soca Single
Kevin Downswell is turning life’s hardest seasons into a praise report. The Jamaican gospel artiste released his Afro-soca-inspired single “Higher (From the Fire)” on July 20, 2026, via Downswell Records, after the song premiered on radio on July 10. Built on booming drums, soaring horns and powerful backing vocals, the track previews his upcoming seventh album.
The chorus tells the story in one line — “Look how You’re taking me higher, higher, higher, look how You’re making me better from the fire” — framing trials as refinement rather than defeat. Downswell performed the song live at his pre-album launch concert on July 19, the night before its official release.
“This single is deeply personal to me. Higher (From The Fire) is my testimony, but it’s also the testimony of every believer,” Downswell said. “The fire wasn’t sent to destroy you — it was sent to take you higher. I can’t wait for people to experience it live for the first time at our pre-album launch, and then have it available wherever they listen to music the very next day.”
The momentum around Downswell is broader than one single. The Westmoreland-born singer, who first came to national attention by winning the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s Gospel Song Competition in 2003 and has since been awarded the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer, heads into the 2026 Sterling Gospel Music Awards as the most-nominated act, with six nominations including Male Artiste of the Year and Collaboration of the Year.
The single follows “Steady,” released earlier this year on the WYFL Riddim, and adds to a catalogue of six albums that includes Grace Brought Me Here, The Shift and Realignment — The Live Encounter. “Higher (From the Fire)” is streaming now on digital platforms.
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Northampton gospel-inspired rapper DC3 released his new single “Kunta In UK” on September 4, a record that pairs one of UK Christian rap’s fastest-rising names with the biggest figure in British rap. The single arrived on Greatness Takes Time Records Ltd, under exclusive licence to Universal Music Operations Limited, and its video features an appearance from Stormzy, shot by Ade “Adelight” Adesina.
The song takes its name and its weight from Kunta Kinte, the central figure of Alex Haley’s “Roots,” using that story to speak about identity, heritage and dignity. Speaking to Mixtape Madness on release day, DC3 explained: “KUNTA IN UK is a song that signifies how we all have different colours yet bleed the same… Having Stormzy involved was a real honour.” Coverage of the video has also noted the track’s nod to Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,” placing DC3’s faith-driven writing inside a wider conversation about Black identity and resilience.
The single made an immediate chart impact, debuting at No. 3 on the Official UK Christian & Gospel Singles Chart dated September 11 and remaining listed into October. DC3 also performed on the new series of BBC Two’s “Later… with Jools Holland,” which began October 11 from Alexandra Palace, taking his music to one of British television’s most respected music stages.
The momentum builds on a breakthrough run that has already set DC3 apart: he is the first independent Christian artist to win both Best Gospel Act and Best Newcomer at the MOBO Awards. With a major-licensed single, a Stormzy co-sign and a national TV performance, “Kunta In UK” marks the moment that rise became impossible to ignore.
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