“Really Like U” opened the Stalky the Bratt era. Released on 1 March 2024, it was the first single from what was announced as a 10-track EP. That project grew into Stalk Ashley’s 11-track debut album, released on 30 August 2024, with “Really Like U” as track eight. It was also the first release to carry the Stalk Ashley Music/Zojak World Wide rights line that the whole album would use.
Here is the context: what came before it, what happened during the six months between the single and the album, and where her career went next.
Before “Really Like U”: from Atlantic UK to going it alone
Stalk Ashley’s early career ran through Atlantic Records UK, which released “Young” (2019), “Incognito” with Alkaline (2020) and the EP Excuses, Pt. I (December 2021). From 2022 her releases moved between different partners, according to the rights lines on Apple Music:
- 2022: “Talibhan” with Skeng (DiTruth Records), “As a Bad Gyal” on her own Stalk Ashley Music, and Manny Norté’s “Worth My While” with Tiana Major9 and Ayra Starr.
- January 2023: “Narcissistic” with Valiant (YGF Records and Zojak World Wide), which Vibe reported topped Jamaican charts for weeks. See Stalk Ashley x Valiant.
- Rest of 2023: a string of one-off singles with different labels, including “Earthquake” (Droptop Records), “Dutty Casamigos” (Romeich Entertainment), “Top Body” (Mixpak, produced by P2J and Dre Skull), “Big Winner” (BlackState) and “Tightest Kitty” (Zimi Ent). She also performed at Reggae Sumfest that year.
By the end of 2023 she had hits and a busy release schedule, but no debut album yet. “Really Like U” changed that.
March 2024: the single that set up the project
When “Really Like U” arrived, both Kaboom Magazine and the Jamaica Observer framed it as the lead single from a 10-track EP called Stalky the Bratt. The Observer said the EP was due in May and named Jaxx and KingBnjmn among its producers. Bringing in Skillibeng, an RCA Records artist, gave the campaign a high-profile opening. The video reached No. 12 on YouTube Trending in its first week; the full numbers are in the release and reception of “Really Like U”.
Spring and summer 2024: building the Bratt brand
- Around February 2024: she launched her own line of Gel-X press-on nails, DancehallMag reported.
- 17 April 2024: Pepsi Jamaica named her its newest ambassador at a campaign launch at Devon House in St Andrew. DancehallMag noted that the “Really Like U” video had passed 1.1 million views and that the EP was still expected in May.
- April 2024: in a Jamaica Gleaner interview, she described the upcoming project as more experimental, pointing to “Really Like U” as an example.
- 12 July 2024: “Senseless” with Skeng and Kraff Gad became the next single. By late July the Observer said the project was finished and due within weeks.
- August 2024: “Brixx” was released ahead of the album.
30 August 2024: Stalky the Bratt arrives
The May EP turned into an 11-track album, released independently on Stalk Ashley Music with Zojak World Wide. The Observer reported that Jaxx was executive producer, with additional production from Di Genius, Anju Blaxx and MXSSIVH. Explaining the title, Stalk Ashley told the paper, “To be a Bratt is to be real all the time”.
The tracklist, per Apple Music:
- 1. “Humble”
- 2. “Brixx”
- 3. “Rockstar” with Armanii
- 4. “Senseless” with Skeng & Kraff Gad
- 5. “Hide Your Boo”
- 6. “Big Vibes” with Valiant
- 7. “Show My Love (Interlude)”
- 8. “Really Like U” with Skillibeng
- 9. “Sneaky Link”
- 10. “Stay With Me” with Sean Paul
- 11. “Deserve It”
“Really Like U” sits in the album’s second half, right after the interlude and two songs before the Sean Paul duet. It is the earliest of the album’s three pre-release singles. For a track-by-track guide, visit the Stalky the Bratt album page.
After the album: where the era led
- 2025: “Really Like U” was nominated for Dancehall Collaboration of the Year at the Caribbean Music Awards. She released “Therapy” with MXSSIVH on VP Records and played Reggae Sumfest’s Blitz night, where Valiant joined her for “Narcissistic”.
- February 2026: “Ready for the Ride” with Sean Paul, a second duet with him after the album’s “Stay With Me”. Read the story of Ready for the Ride.
- 2026: two Caribbean Music Awards nominations, Female Dancehall Artist of the Year and the Dancehall Impact Award, plus “Good Ole Gyal” with 450 in August.
The full year-by-year story is on the career timeline. For the song itself, see what “Really Like U” is about, read the full lyrics on Genius, or watch the official video.
If you like “Really Like U”, you’ll love…
- “Stay With Me” – Stalk Ashley & Sean Paul (2024): the other big-name duet on Stalky the Bratt, and a smoother listen. More on Stalk Ashley x Sean Paul.
- “Top Body” – Stalk Ashley (2023): her Mixpak single from the year just before the album campaign.
- “Forward From Trini” – Nicki Minaj feat. Skillibeng & Skeng (2023): released in December 2023, three months before “Really Like U”, with two of the Stalky the Bratt guests on one track.
Explore more songs and lyrics on the Stalk Ashley lyrics hub.
Frequently asked questions
What album is Really Like U on?
It is track eight on Stalk Ashley’s debut album Stalky the Bratt, released on 30 August 2024. It first came out as a single on 1 March 2024.
Was Stalky the Bratt an EP or an album?
It was first announced in March 2024 as a 10-track EP due in May. It was released in August 2024 as an 11-track album.
Who is featured on Stalky the Bratt?
Skillibeng, Sean Paul, Valiant, Skeng, Kraff Gad and Armanii all appear on the album.
What does Stalky the Bratt mean?
Stalk Ashley told the Jamaica Observer that being a Bratt means staying real and true to yourself all the time.
Sources
- Kaboom Magazine: Stalk Ashley Unveils Electrifying Collab with Skillibeng (1 March 2024)
- Jamaica Observer: Really Like U (8 March 2024)
- DancehallMag: Stalk Ashley Is Pepsi Jamaica’s Newest Ambassador (18 April 2024)
- Jamaica Gleaner: 5 Questions with Stalk Ashley (19 April 2024)
- Jamaica Observer: Stalk Ashley collabs with Skeng, Kraff (25 July 2024)
- Jamaica Observer: ‘Realness’ in Stalky The Bratt (30 August 2024)
- Apple Music: Stalky the Bratt
- Apple Music: Stalk Ashley discography
