The contemporary music landscape is currently dominated by expansive artistic statements, with artists increasingly opting for multi-part projects to convey their evolving narratives. The Weeknd’s ambitious "After Hours—Dawn FM—Hurry Up Tomorrow" series culminated in a record-shattering tour, while Drake achieved a significant milestone on the Billboard 200 with his recent, seemingly spontaneous triple album release. Meanwhile, the world eagerly anticipates the final installment of Beyoncé’s historically themed trilogy, initiated by "Renaissance" and continued with "Cowboy Carter." Amidst this trend of elaborate, multi-chapter releases, Jamaican singer Runkus is charting a different course, presenting a new album, "Supernova," that moves beyond the confines of trilogies and embraces a more fluid, cinematic approach to music creation.
Runkus, born Romario Sebastian Anthony Bennett, previously established his artistic identity through a series of three interconnected projects released between 2016 and 2022. These works meticulously traced the artist’s life and evolving perspectives before and after the profound societal shifts brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The trilogy featured notable collaborations with prominent figures in contemporary reggae, including Naomi Cowan, Chronixx, and Ky-Mani Marley, solidifying Runkus’s position as a significant voice within Caribbean music. His early work demonstrated a deep respect for the foundational elements of roots reggae while fearlessly incorporating diverse influences, ranging from trap dancehall to R&B. This sonic exploration, always anchored by his commitment to Rastafari principles, culminated in the 2022 release of "OUT:SIDE," after which Runkus felt a distinct need for artistic recalibration.
"I think I might be addicted to making music," Runkus shared in an interview with Billboard. "I knew I was ready to move on from that trilogy, so I took a pause from making music to focus on production and delve into art. I wanted to look at music more as an art form, rather than just [something to get on the] charts. I started scoring films and going to galleries and museum exhibitions. From there, I started scoring my music instead of making it." This deliberate shift in perspective marked the genesis of "Supernova."
A Cinematic Departure: The Genesis of ‘Supernova’
"Supernova" emerges as a rich, cinematic tapestry, a collection of songs that leverage juxtaposition to explore the dynamic and often surprising malleability of Caribbean music. Runkus intentionally weaves together disparate sonic and conceptual elements, creating a listening experience that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant. The album’s opening track exemplifies this approach by seamlessly blending an astronomy talk delivered at Occidental College with the iconic "Punany" dancehall riddim. This unexpected pairing immediately signals Runkus’s intention to push the boundaries of familiar musical structures. Similarly, the track "Sheep" recontextualizes potent mid-performance speeches by the legendary Peter Tosh, imbuing them with new meaning within Runkus’s contemporary artistic framework. The result is an intricately layered work that bridges science, music, and visual art.
To visually complement the album’s thematic depth, Runkus collaborated with Tavares Strachan, a Bahamian-born, New York-based multidisciplinary visual artist. Strachan’s Eve-inspired sculpture, "A Map of the Crown (Fulani Red)," graces the album’s cover, adding another layer of artistic interpretation to the project. Furthermore, Runkus is preparing to release "Supernova Sessions," a series of live performance videos. Filmed in the picturesque "hills of Jamaica, where a river runs through a friend’s backyard," these sessions promise an intimate and stripped-down reimagining of the album’s tracks. Featuring a three-person backing choir and acoustic renditions interspersed with Rastafari chants, the "Supernova Sessions," produced by Kadiya McDonald and Carleene Samuels, aim to offer a multi-dimensional exploration of Runkus’s latest sonic vision.
The album’s title, "Supernova," serves as a potent metaphor for artistic rebirth. Much like a supernova signifies both the dramatic demise of a star and the subsequent creation of new celestial elements, Runkus’s new LP emerged from an intensely prolific creative period. During the album’s development, Runkus generated over 170 songs, including a significant number of tracks that were ultimately scrapped and a previously planned album titled "Full Circle." This extensive creative process, while demanding, ultimately led to the refined and cohesive artistic statement that is "Supernova." The album represents not just a new body of work, but the dawn of a new artistic era for the ascendant musician, opening up a "whole new solar system to explore."
Cinematic Influences and Musical Reinterpretation
Runkus’s deep appreciation for cinema profoundly influenced the creation of "Supernova," particularly in the album’s mixing and sequencing. "I remember sneaking into the drive-in movie theater in Kingston with my parents and watching Matrix, Rude Boy, Shottas, all the classics – from Jamaican movies to international ones," he recounted. "I actually rewatched Matrix recently, and it hit me on a whole new level. I also love weird films, and horrors normally have great scores. I really like psychological thrillers like Inception, too." This lifelong engagement with film led Runkus to view his music through a cinematic lens. "Because I love film, I wanted to start looking at my music as scores," he explained. "And all the greats, like Quincy Jones and Babyface, did that. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry might not have written the music in terms of notation, but he was also scoring. Every section was intentional."
This intentionality is evident in the album’s innovative track construction. The opening track, for instance, juxtaposes an academic astronomy discussion with the instantly recognizable "Punany" riddim. "I was actually at Occidental [College] for that conversation," Runkus revealed. "I’m always looking for a way to make something unique out of something familiar. Everyone has heard the ‘Punany’ riddim, but I’ve never heard it start the way I did it. There’s nothing new under the sun, but there will always be new suns. There will always be a new way to interpret an old thing because that’s what music is. The starting and ending of things are very important to me. How things start is important, because that’s what’s going to grab you, and how they end determines whether you continue listening."
The track "Sheep" also showcases Runkus’s talent for recontextualization, utilizing a powerful speech by Peter Tosh. "He’s talking about my life," Runkus stated. "But I also recontextualized his words, so they’re not necessarily about other people; it’s also about myself. Sometimes I wear wolves’ clothing, and sometimes I wear sheep’s. We each have two beasts inside of us. The whole speech resonated with me in that sense; Peter Tosh was very eloquent and intelligent in how he speaks about issues of now, which will probably still be the issues of the future."
Living and Exemplifying Rastafari Principles
Runkus’s artistic output is deeply rooted in his Rastafari faith, which informs his approach to life and his music. He emphasized the importance of authenticity and personal responsibility in his creative process. "Why was it important for you to center yourself and your experiences in your songwriting instead of preaching to your fans from a hill?" he was asked. "You ever heard the [phrase] ‘live and exemplify?’ That’s the reason why," Runkus responded. "Rastafari teaches a couple of things: self-sufficiency, self-reliance, etc. But one of the most important ones is to live and exemplify. It’s not going to be perfect, but just live and exemplify."
This philosophy of living by example underpins his decision to focus on personal narratives rather than didactic pronouncements. It suggests a belief that true influence comes from lived experience and the demonstration of one’s principles, rather than from external pronouncements.
Collaboration and Personal Resilience: The ‘Sure as the Sun’ Narrative
While "Supernova" is largely a solo artistic endeavor, the album features a significant collaboration with dancehall icon Sean Paul on the track "Sure as the Sun." Runkus spoke highly of his fellow artist: "Sean Paul is one of the greatest musicians of all time, and he’s also one of the most hardworking. That’s why Jah keeps blessing him; that’s the kind of energy that I would like to live and exemplify." The collaboration came about after years of discussions. "We’ve been talking about making a song together for years, and when we finally linked up, it was two hours of talking and reasoning before we even made anything," Runkus recalled. "He actually made a whole speech about how people always link him for gyal tunes, and then we went with a gyal tune. [Laughs.]"
The genesis of "Sure as the Sun" is deeply personal, tied to a difficult period in Runkus’s life. He explained, "I was in a moment of going with the flow, so I picked up the guitar and the first thing I sang was, ‘Sure as the sun will rise, you’re goin’ alright.’ And that was really a message to myself because it was a very hard time." This hard time was the period immediately following the passing of his father, the late reggae singer Detemine, in March 2025. "Yes. I remember getting crazy calls during that session," Runkus admitted. "Grief will bring out the worst in people. And I’m the last to fight; I don’t trouble nobody. In that sense, whenever people are fighting, I’ll be alright. What I have for them is minuscule compared to what Jah will do to them, so why fight? That tune came out of a really personal space."
Navigating Grief and Artistic Integrity
The profound loss of his father significantly impacted Runkus, yet he consciously chose not to make "Supernova" a record explicitly about his grief. "The music that I’ve written so far regarding the passing of my father is not on Supernova," he stated. "I purposely didn’t want to make a record about that. It’s too soon. I’m not trying to turn that moment into a PR stunt. We’re living in a very performative world right now, to the point where enough people don’t know what’s real. What’s real is somebody losing their parents and choosing not to talk about it. I’m living with it." This deliberate decision reflects a commitment to artistic integrity and a rejection of performative displays of emotion. Runkus shared a poignant anecdote illustrating the depth of his loss: "I remember getting a very nice review of this record from a renowned DJ, and I tried to send it to my dad, and in that moment his absence really hit me. It was a reflex for me. Some artists need liquor and ten girls; I just need my family and friends."
Creative Challenges and Future Aspirations
The creation of "Supernova" was not without its challenges. Runkus identified "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" as the most demanding track: "It was a real headache because I mixed it myself, but it sounded great in the end." He also encountered technical issues with a sample on "Sniper Rifle," but his younger brother stepped in to salvage the production. "My little brother came in and rebuilt the beat while keeping elements of the previous one, and it was mad."
Looking ahead, Runkus is keen to further develop the visual dimension of "Supernova." The upcoming "Supernova Sessions" are designed to complement the music and resonate with a younger audience aspiring to a career in music without succumbing to excessive external influences. "We have something called Supernova Sessions coming, and we’re creating a visual work to align with anyone who is a yute and wants to exist in the world of music. Especially if they don’t want to be confined but also don’t want too much worldly influence."
Runkus also has ambitious plans for 2026. He aims to collaborate more extensively with his brother, who was instrumental in producing six tracks on "Supernova." "I want to make way more music with my brother. He’s only 19 and produced six songs on Supernova: ‘Sniper Rifle,’ the second half of ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf,’ the title track, ‘Sheep,’ ‘3310,’ and ‘Every Ghetto Youth Is A Star.’" Beyond his personal projects, Runkus is eager to expand his role as a producer for other artists and to explore immersive live performance experiences. He also intends to deepen his musical knowledge by learning to play the keyboard properly, acknowledging the constant constraint of time. "This is just the beginning of the Supernova campaign," he concluded.
When asked about his current listening habits, Runkus shared a diverse playlist that includes classic reggae from Bob Marley, Stephen, and Ziggy, as well as "Jah Promise" by Johnny Osbourne, James Blake’s latest album "Trying Times," Santana’s "Oye Como Va," and Public Enemy’s iconic "Fight the Power." This eclectic mix underscores Runkus’s broad musical palate and his continuous engagement with the rich tapestry of musical expression.
