Complex Ricki goes viral with Sizzla cover

Recording artiste Complex Ricki is enjoying a surge of attention online after a video of her covering Sizzla’s popular single ‘Give Me a Try’ went viral on TikTok and Instagram.

The video has racked up nearly 100,000 views across her TikTok and Instagram pages. Several persons have also reshared the clip and used Complex Ricki’s vocals as the sound for their own reels, further expanding its reach. The artiste said the viral moment was completely unexpected, as the performance came about while she was rehearsing for upcoming shows with her vocal coach.

“I was working on rehearsals for upcoming shows and I wanted to do covers in between my sets. Give Me a Try is one of my favourite songs,” she said. “I just wanted to show a bit of my process because I was working with my vocal coach, and it turns out everyone liked it. I wasn’t really expecting anything from it, but I love the support I’m getting.”

This is not the first time Complex Ricki has caught Sizzla’s attention with the song. She previously performed it on Instagram and said the reggae star reposted her rendition on his page. Since the latest video began gaining traction, Complex Ricki has experienced an increase in followers and music streams, along with attention from artistes, producers and record labels.

“A few artistes I look up to and love their music have commented, liked, reposted or DM’d me since the post,” she said. “I’ve had labels reach out, producers and artistes have also reached out, and I just see more and more people paying attention, especially internationally.”

Born in Jamaica, Complex Ricki later migrated to the US and has spent much of her life travelling between both countries. She describes her sound as a hybrid of R&B, reggae, dancehall, trap and Afro-fusion. Her connection to Give Me a Try stretches back to her younger years, some of which she spent in Cleveland, Ohio. She remembers listening to both Sizzla’s original and Rihanna’s version of the song and credits Sizzla as a natural influence on her development as a Jamaican artiste.

As she capitalises on the new-found attention, Complex Ricki intends to remain focused on the quality that helped create the moment—her voice.

“What I love about this moment is the fact that people are actually supporting my natural, raw voice,” she said.