Lila Iké has returned with “What It Feels Like,” a new single released July 24 through Ineffable Records. Credited to Lila Iké and Protoje, the release brings Iké’s distinctive voice into the expanding “Feel It” riddim series while continuing the momentum generated by her debut album, Treasure Self Love.
The song arrives following a landmark period for the Jamaican singer-songwriter. Treasure Self Love earned Iké her first Grammy nomination, competing for Best Reggae Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. The recognition marked another significant step in a career that has steadily connected contemporary Jamaican music with soul, R&B and traditional reggae songwriting.
“What It Feels Like” also places Iké inside one of reggae’s most enduring creative traditions: multiple artists interpreting the same foundational riddim. The broader “Feel It” project began with Protoje’s recording and has since expanded through Alaine’s “Summertime,” Romain Virgo’s “Finally” and Mortimer’s “Flowers & Flames.” Rather than presenting those songs as conventional remixes, the series gives each artist space to construct an individual composition around a shared musical framework.
Her continuing work with Protoje reflects a creative relationship that has been central to her development. Iké emerged through the In.Digg.Nation collective before releasing her 2020 EP, The ExPerience, and Protoje has remained an important collaborator as her audience has expanded beyond Jamaica. Their work together places both artists inside a larger effort to modernize reggae without separating it from Jamaica’s songwriting and sound-system traditions.
The new single follows the release and international promotion of Treasure Self Love, an album that formally introduced Iké as a full-length recording artist after years of singles, collaborations and touring. Its Grammy nomination confirmed the growing institutional recognition surrounding her work, but “What It Feels Like” suggests she is more interested in continued movement and development than simply recognition alone.
