Singer-songwriter Akili has released “I So Blue,” the third single from his upcoming album, Tobago Nights. Blending Afrobeats, reggae and blues, the track explores the process of confronting emotional pain rather than seeking easy ways to escape it.
Written during a difficult period in Panama, “I So Blue” draws from a series of personal encounters that helped shape its message. A conversation with Akili’s aunt, Tía Sharon, offered him valuable life advice, which was later reinforced by an unexpected reunion with an old friend, Griselle. Before they parted, Griselle gifted him Willie Dixon’s book, I Am The Blues, providing the final inspiration for the song.
These experiences inform the track’s central philosophy: sometimes, the only way out of pain is to go through it. Akili channels that perspective into a blend of musical influences, drawing on ancestral wisdom and personal reflection to explore how difficult experiences can become a source of strength and growth.
The artist recently previewed “I So Blue” at a private Brooklyn event for Stonewall CDC. Its release continues the rollout for Tobago Nights, with Akili releasing a new single every month ahead of the album’s planned October 2026 debut.
“I So Blue” is available now on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music. Press photographs and official artwork are available to media professionals through the song’s Electronic Press Kit (EPK).
