British Dancehall artist Stefflon Don has released the third single from her upcoming debut album, Island 54 set for release on Friday (June 28).
The track, “Dilemma” featuring Sidhu Moose Wala, combines gritty realism and bold declarations, set against the backdrop of the Punjabi Indian slums, offering listeners a vivid narrative and unfiltered emotions.
Released on Monday, June 24, 2024, the song and music video follow “Whats Poppin’ featuring Bnxn and Intergalactic. The music video weave together the harsh realities of street life.
Stefflon Don delivers her verses in patois, while Moose Wala raps in his Indo-Aryan language, creating a powerful blend of rhythmic Dancehall and Punjabi intensity.
“Don’t run, don’t run when we pull up and done,” Stefflon rhymes a line from Vybz Kartel’s Mavado diss track. “Walk with the K with the extension. Don’t try to diss, you will get clart up. In the cappa field, we will make your body fart up,” adding balance to the rhyme by giving a shout out to the other side saying, “Gangsta, tell me what they’re doing, Mavado.” “This is no game, this is no facade,” she declares.
Still representing the dancehall as highest-streaming female Dancehall artist, Stefflon Don vividly describes walking with a “K with the extension” and making a “Make a girl sing like Demi Lovato. Real badness, then we step and cut.”
The song has surpassed 1.2 million streams in 7 hours as fans from India to Jamaica discover the intercontinental collaboration on Monday.
The song is currently charting on iTunes at #5 India, #27 Norway, #37 United Kingdom, #185 Netherlands and #196 Canada.
Sidhu Moose Wala, who was tragically shot dead on May 29, 2022, at the age of 28, appears posthumously in the music video through a deep fake AI image bearing an AK-47. His verse adds an international flavor to the track, blending his cultural roots with the street life narrative, and highlighting his experiences and the respect he commanded. He speaks about legal troubles and the loyalty of his community, adding depth to the song.
“Girl from the UK, you talk in slang. Roam around Southall with your girl gang. Fresh out on bail, your boy from that gun case. Ghostface Killah if I were in the Wu-Tang,” he raps.
The music video includes scenes of a funeral procession, paying tribute to the top-streaming Indian star. Considered the “Tupac of Punjabi music,” Moose Wala was a leader of the Indian National Congress (INC) when he was attacked in his jeep in Mansa district and suffered multiple bullet injuries. The incident drew widespread shock and condemnation, particularly from the Congress party and its leaders.
Moose Wala was one of the highest streaming artists on YouTube, with songs like “Levels” topping charts in Canada and New Zealand. His death is considered a significant loss to the Punjabi music world and beyond.
This is his second collaboration with Stefflon Don. Their previous collaboration, “47,” also produced by Steel Banglez and featuring MIST, has surpassed 84 million views on YouTube.
Watch Dilemma below:
