Toya Lee carving out a niche in music

US-based dancehall artiste Toya Lee is overjoyed at the enthusiastic response to her latest single, Girls Night Out.

"The song has been added to rotation on several radio stations and it is very gratifying because I put a lot of effort into my EP, and Girls Night Out is one of my favourite party tracks. It feels good to know that the industry is cheering for me," she said.

The lead track on the EP is Goddess, which was released on her birthday, January 2. The sultry dancehall starlet has continued to carve out a niche for herself with her distinctive blend of pop-flavoured dancehall. She plans to release a number of videos for the EP this year.

Toya Lee was raised between the Flankers and Bogue communities in Montego Bay, St James. She fell in love with music at the age of six and by age 12, her mom took her to her first studio session after hearing her belting out the first song that she had written. Toya Lee attended Rusea's High School briefly before migrating to the USA in her teens, where she completed her secondary and college education. However, music remained her first love.

In 2021, she released her first compilation project, the 'Loud Box' rhythm, which featured artistes like Sizzla, Caano, Korexx and Nino Brown. The project was released under her own imprint, Toya Lee Records. She is planning to release a slew of new songs in the coming year, but for now, she is focused solely on her music career.

"The response to my music has been so amazing online that it has definitely encouraged me to go harder in 2023, and I am coming to carve out my space in the music business," she said.