Girl group Valkyries of Arcadia drops ‘Candy Rush’

The Valkyries of Arcadia, an all-female gaming and content-creation group that is expanding into modern pop entertainment such as anime and cosplay, has added recording artistes to their résumés with the recent release of a song titled Candy Rush.

“ Candy Rush was done as a ‘thank you’ to one of our sponsors as we thought we needed to give them something for their continuous support. We had originally planned to do music, and this was a good start as it wasn’t supposed to be something too serious but fun and catchy and sweet like candy,” group member Quani explained.

“The song is rated ‘E’ for everyone. We want to show that artistes can infuse their personal interest into music and make it fun,” she added.

Earlier this month, the group performed Candy Rush at an outdoor event in Montego Bay and used the opportunity to promote another track titled V.O.A.

“We also hosted our Just Dance Along video game exhibition at our booth, and patrons got a chance to dance along with the Valkyries by following the dance moves in the game,” Quani said.

The group is led by managing director Sashaun ‘Empre33 Nile’ Bailey and assistant director Rhea Rampair. Other core members are Zuri San, Quani, and Buggie.

“From anime to cosplay, modelling and dancing, we are now entering the music scene with JAM-Pop,” Empress Nile said.

JAM-Pop is an original sound that the group is establishing to represent Jamaica’s pop music.

“It mixes dancehall and hip hop with modern pop culture. This includes influences from gaming, anime, film, and other elements of pop culture, sounds to blend Jamaican identity with global entertainment styles,” the group’s managing director explained.

The Valkyries of Arcadia said that as they continue to promote their JAM-Pop culture, they often leave their audience wanting more.

“Whenever we perform, everyone is so excited as they never see so much synchronisation on stage. We have routines to go with our songs, and in Jamaica, the artistes sometimes just focus on delivering the lyrics, but what we are doing is making use of the stage and formations,” Empre33 Nile said.

They revealed that their anime and cosplay audience continues to grow by the thousands yearly, with the convention being one of the most highly anticipated on the calendar.

“The music that we do is global and more international, but this is Jamaica’s take on it. Anime is a big and growing movement in Jamaica. There is a convention every year that is one of the biggest in the region, and next year will be the 10th anniversary. The event itself draws over 7,000 patrons each year at the National Arena,” Quani shared.

The group pointed out that conventions like these create a space that explores the pop culture that young people are interested in, while having a business element as well.

“All of them can come together in one space and not only celebrate what Jamaicans can put forward in the artistic space but facilitate business and investment,” Quani added. “It’s a win-win.”

entertainment@gleanerjm.com