Beloved singer-songwriter Citizen Cope has shared “Dancing Lullaby (Let’s Give Love A Try),” the latest single from his upcoming record The Victory March, out July 7 via his own Rainwater Recordings. Featuring a classic reggae inspired arrangement complete with a lyrical shout out to Bob Marley, the track futhers Cope’s message of positivity and strength through struggle. Here, the track is a tribute to resilient women artists who inspire Cope, containing mentions of Maya Angelou, The I Threes, and Frida Kahlo. Serving as the final track on a record centering songs of longing, “Dancing Lullaby” shows a moment of intimacy and peace, dancing with a loved one, while reflecting on the little things that make their connection so beautiful; a groovy and entrancing closer about keeping on when times get tough. Alongside this reggae infused track, Cope has announced that he will be playing Reggae Rise Up in Baltimore, Maryland on June 24th, alongside Damian Marley, Rebelution, Stick Figure, Method Man & Redman, and many others. Tickets available here.

Explaining The Victory March’s title, Cope says he sees the record as one about finding connection amidst chaos: “I wanted to celebrate the gift of life and of knowledge,” says Cope.“You get on the road and you see how disconnected people are. There’s a lot of discontent out there—in most cases, rightfully so. People feel like they’re not a part of something. We’re just thrown into a pit against each other over commerce, more financial and economic differences than actual human differences, and we get confused… I felt like writing something positive, with more of a hopeful slant.”

Musically, this material—co-produced by Alex Elena (Alice Smith, Lily Allen)—adds more expansive arrangements, with horns and strings, to Cope’s signature blend of hip-hop-based beats with blues, soul, folk, and rock. But it’s the heart and soul of Cope’s music that has endured throughout the years — as evidenced by the fact that 2004’s The Clarence Greenwood Recordings approaches platinum status despite never formally charting, a nearly impossible feat — anchored by his willingness to engage with the human condition and the times we’re living in that keeps Cope on a different plane than his peers. At a concise seven tracks, The Victory March sees Cope at his most focused and refined, offering an expanded sound welcoming listeners both new and old.

With The Victory March, Citizen Cope feels he has nothing left to prove. Twenty years in, he’s found that there’s really no choice other than to pursue his own sound and speak his own truth—which has proven to be about survival and hope rather than despair, a message the world desperately needs to hear.

Photo Courtesy: Alex Elena