Stefflon Don on FAULTLess partnership with Chivas Regal and upcoming projects
Words: Trina John-Charles
Stefflon Don has that authentic Jamaican tenacity that you cannot bottle or buy. Whatever happens, one thing you can guarantee is that she will show up, look stunning and effortlessly deliver. Freshly back from holidaying in Jamaica, with a brand new single and her first studio album in the works, we caught up with Stef at the launch of her collaboration bottle with Chivas Regal, to talk about the new album, the new single and making whisky cool again. Stefflon Don has teamed up with Chivas as part of the brand’s mission to inspire the next generation of scotch drinkers from around the globe with its ‘I Rise, We Rise’ campaign. The collaboration celebrates those who, through teamwork and dedication, have boldly carved their own path, reaching new heights and rewriting the rules for the next generation.
FAULT: You are currently working on your first studio album, which you’ve described as a ‘tropical vibe’ what else can you tell us about it?
STEFFLON DON: Yes, this is my first album, my other two projects were mixtapes. What can I tell you… The album is called ‘Island 54’ and it represents amazing island vibes. I have a lot of collaborations on there too. I have Buju… well actually I have two Bujus… The original Buju [Banton] from Jamaica and then the Nigerian Buju, who now calls himself BNXN [Benson]. BNXN is on my new single that is out right now, called ‘What’s Poppin’.
F: So double Buju, that is amazing in itself…
STEFFLON DON: Yes it is! and I am the first artist to do that, to have both of them on one album. Producer wise I worked with GuiltyBeatz, B2J… Rhymez, obviously you all know Rhymez, he did ‘Senseless’ for me. Guilty has done a lot for Tems, I worked with TSB who did a lot on JHus’ album… Also I have one of my producers who is actually signed to my label called Dray-Z and another one called Kaz. They both did amazing work on the album. I’m excited.
F: You have proven that you are a very versatile artist, what made you take this specific direction at this time?
STEFFLON DON: I think the direction of this album is just what I have always done, or what I have been doing really… but just maybe a little bit more intimate on some tracks. As well as the Caribbean vibes, there are also some slower, softer sounding songs. There are Afro type songs, Amapiano as well. It’s a really nice mixture.
F: Speaking of the Caribbean, you have just recently come back from Jamaica. We all have destination envy looking at your Instagram posts. It seems like you are there often…
STEFFLON DON: I am. I just moved my son out there. My son went to live there last September, but he comes over to England every school holiday so he is here all the time too. So because my son is in Jamaica, I am always out there too. I love Jamaica. Jamaica is so nice. Whenever I am there I love going to the beach, we just don’t have that here in England so I make sure I aways go to the beach. I also make sure I eat good food. I love good food too [laughs].
F: You have a partnership with Chivas Regal which is why we are here today. What exactly is your role with the brand?
STEFFLON DON: We just kind of joined forces together and we are just basically in partnership. So, I created my own bottle with Chivas which is launching today and we just bring amazing people together. Those who didn’t know about the brand, those who do, those didn’t know about me, now do… and I love the drink so it just makes sense.
F: I thought Chivas was a rum, but it is actually a whisky which seems like an old man’s drink. Do you genuinely enjoy whisky or was it more of an acquired taste?
STEFFLON DON: Yes, usually that is what a lot of people think, which is why we wanted to partner with them and say, ‘hey, this isn’t an old guy’s drink. It is also for the (age appropriate) but younger, modern crowd’. I have a cocktail menu with them also with loads of different Chivas whisky cocktails. My signature cocktail is called THE DON, which is very sweet, infused with the richness of the Caribbean, so it doesn’t have to be just a glass of whisky, you can turn it into some nice blended flavours. You can have a lot of fun with it. Chivas know that I love pink, so I made sure we had the pink and made it very girly and I love gold, so I made sure that was present too. They know I like sweet drinks, so we have pineapples and berries in the cocktails.
F: Are you a whisky drinker in general then?
STEFFLON DON: I am not a big drinker at all actually. I don’t drink that much. I always drink very little and very occasionally, so someone like me doesn’t really have a favourite type of drink or a drink of choice. I just always drink whatever is there – just a little bit though. However, since partnering with Chivas I have been drinking whisky a lot more [laughs] and I would say it’s quite nice. In the past I was more of a cognac girl, but lately I do find I have shifted to Chivas and a lot of other people I know have too.
F: You are also touring soon what are you most excited about, is there anywhere you are really looking forward to playing?
STEFFLON DON: I am most excited about seeing my fans! …touching base with them, performing all the new songs. I am so excited, because I know it’s going to be lit. We have put a lot of time into production and making sure the fans have best experience. I am really excited I can’t wait to get out there.