Sun | Oct 12, 2025

‘Full of joy!’ Chronixx’s proud parents react to new album ‘Exile’

Published:Sunday | October 12, 2025 | 12:10 AMYasmine Peru - Sunday Gleaner Writer
‘Exile’ by Chronixx was released on the reggae singer’s birthday on Friday.
‘Exile’ by Chronixx was released on the reggae singer’s birthday on Friday.
Chronixx’s ‘Exile’ explores identity, family, community and resilience.
Chronixx’s ‘Exile’ explores identity, family, community and resilience.
Chronixx has returned with ‘Exile’, his first album in eight years.
Chronixx has returned with ‘Exile’, his first album in eight years.
1
2
3

“Overwhelmed! Full of joy!” were the expressions from the parents of Grammy-nominated artiste, Chronixx, when The Sunday Gleaner asked them how they felt about their son releasing his sophomore album last Friday.

Chronixx excited the music fraternity with a return from a musical hiatus or self-imposed exile of sorts with an album aptly titled Exile, which made a big début at number one on the iTunes Top 100 Reggae Album charts, toppling Bob Marley’s Legend from its ‘home’ at the peak of the chart. Already, critics have dubbed Exile the stuff of which Grammy Awards are made, but they will have to hold their breath until the 2027 iteration of the awards. That’s because Chronixx continues to write his own destiny. Instead of hurrying up and dropping Exile in time to catch the August 30 Grammy submission cut-off date, he patiently waited to release his first album in eight years on a day that is special to him and his supportive, close-knit family – his October 10 birthday.

“A lot of people write him off, but they don’t understand. They didn’t know that the Lord gave me a blessed one,” Chronixx’s mother, Rosemarie Dunn-McNaughton, told The Sunday Gleaner. She described Chronixx as her diamond that arrived in a package; however, it wasn’t until she opened it that she realised that a precious jewel was hidden inside. And, like a true mother, she hastened to add that she and her husband “adore every single one of their children and treat them all the same”.

“We have been getting calls from morning, and we have been having lots of conversations. He’s in England now, so from last night to this morning we have been talking, wishing him happy birthday ... and he’s there with family. He’s such a blessing in our soul, and I know he’s a prophet also, not just a singer, a musician, and a songwriter, but also [a] prophet,” a delighted Rosemarie shared.

‘Proud of him’

Chronixx’s father, Selvin, a singer who is known by his moniker, Chronicle, said that it was destined for his son to become a great musician and singer. He has been carrying him to the studio since he was three months old.

“I carry two nipple bottles, all three sometimes, cause him love him food. I just hold him in my hand and ride with him on the bicycle and go a studio. Dirtsman and Gary Minott ... a him two godfather dem deh. I teach him the music from when him don’t even understand the music ... but mi just mek sure that it soak inna him,” Chronicle said.

He added that he has always given his son advice, and he has taken it. “I tell him, ‘Don’t hype’. And I tell him to be nice to people and mek everybody love him. Him see how mi live my life. Proud of him ... very proud.”

Both parents have been privy to the songs on the album from conception, and they absolutely love them.

“Wow. I think we’ve been hearing bits and pieces of some of the songs for about two years now. And then we heard a bit of the album about six months ago. And then I happen to go to England the other day, where there was a massive show with him. For me to be there with him, to be on the stage with him and watch him perform, and all those things, it was such a joy. So, I actually heard four or five of the songs from then. And there is one in particular that is in my head. It says ‘I put my family first’. It was such a joy to hear that,” Rosemarie shared.

A press release on chronixx.com gives some insight into Exile.

“Eight years after his acclaimed début, Chronology, Grammy-nominated reggae artiste Chronixx returns with a stunning new album titled Exile, a 17-track collection that redefines the possibilities of modern reggae.

“Produced by Inflo, the award-winning producer behind SAULT, Michael Kiwanuka, Cleo Sol and Adele, Exile fuses classic roots textures with rich soul influences and an experimental edge. The result is an album that feels both timeless and urgent – a reflection of exile in its emotional, spiritual, and political dimensions.

“On Exile, Chronixx sounds more powerful and assured than ever. His voice, warm, righteous and defiant, leads listeners through a deeply musical journey that explores identity, family, community and resilience. While rooted in reggae’s deep traditions, the record reaches far beyond, resonating with a global audience drawn to its depth and originality. A landmark return from one of Jamaica’s most vital artistes, Exile reaffirms Chronixx’s place as a voice of truth, unity, and evolution in modern music.”

Exile, the 17-track offering, will also be packaged as a double vinyl LP with songs such as Exile, Market, Sweet Argument, Survivor and Family First, on Side A; I Know What You Feeling, Saviour, Keep On Rising and Hurricane on Side B; Genesis, Don’t Be Afraid, I and I, and Never Give Up on Side C; and Pain in Your Heart, Resilient, Scheming and Love is on the Mountain on Side D.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com