Worth My While

How it happened

Released August 31, 2022, “Worth My While” is the record that proved Stalk Ashley’s voice travels — an all-female, three-continent line-up assembled by Manny Norté, the veteran Capital XTRA broadcaster, DJ and A&R who had opened his artist career with “4AM” featuring Tion Wayne, 6LACK, Benin City and Rema.

An all-female sequel to “4AM”

Norté was explicit about the concept, telling uDiscoverMusic he wanted a follow-up “in a similar vein but this time with an all-female line up”. His picks drew a triangle across the map: Stalk Ashley from Jamaica, Tiana Major9 from the UK, Ayra Starr from Nigeria — three scenes, one record about knowing your worth. GRM Daily called it a perfect closer for the summer.

The company she kept

Tiana Major9 — the Newham, East London singer raised in a Jamaican household (her stage name honours the major-9th chord) — signed to Motown in 2019 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song for “Collide” with EARTHGANG, from the Queen & Slim soundtrack. Ayra Starr, Mavin Records’ Nigerian prodigy, had just made history: “Bloody Samaritan”, from her debut 19 & Dangerous, made her the first female solo artist to top Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 50. For Stalk Ashley to hold her own on that record — patois and all — told UK and West African audiences everything.

The timeline

2021 — Manny Norté’s “4AM” becomes a global playlist staple · Aug 31, 2022 — “Worth My While” unites Stalk Ashley, Tiana Major9 and Ayra Starr · Since — the record stands as her clearest bridge between dancehall, UK R&B and Afrobeats before the Stalky the Bratt era.