Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Hymn Marley, Bob Marley’s grandson. He truly exuded a warm, light energy. I left the conversation feeling uplifted in the kindredness and genuine energy that shows through in his music.
His newest single, “One Dance,” explores the topic of letting go of the old version of yourself. Sometimes you have to let go of an old version of yourself to let go of a person.
“People we love are a manifestation of how we feel about ourselves.” – Hymn Marley
Hymn Marley’s music feels like sunlight, heartbreak, and self-reflection all at once. There’s reggae woven into it, but also pop, house, and something more difficult to define. The grandson of Bob Marley isn’t interested in recreating a legacy. He’s interested in expanding it into something fully his own.
“No one sat there with me and taught me how to write music.” – Hymn Marley
When I asked Hymn how he would describe his sound to someone hearing it for the first time, he explained that while his music exists sonically in a more commercial pop space, it is shaped by influences from everywhere. Growing up between Jamaica, New York, and Miami exposed him to reggae, Latin music, hip-hop, and early 2000s pop, all of which naturally show up in his work. “Everything is kind of organic and in the moment,” he says. Songs like “You Don’t Even Love Me” especially capture that balance between emotional vulnerability and bright, almost euphoric production.
That openness also defines how he approaches the Marley name. While his grandfather’s influence is undeniable, Hymn says no one in his family taught him how to make music. “No one sat there with me and taught me how to write music,” he says. Instead, he developed his artistry independently, learning through experimentation and experience rather than imitation. In many ways, he sees that as carrying forward the same spirit that defined his grandfather’s legacy. “He wasn’t trying to fit a mold,” Hymn says of Bob Marley. “He stood in his beliefs.”
I don’t want to write music that’s my journal, I want people to feel like it’s ours. – Hymn Marley
At the center of Hymn’s music is emotional honesty. More than anything, he wants listeners to feel a sense of oneness and shared understanding. “I don’t want to write music that’s my journal,” he says. “I want people to feel like it’s ours.” That philosophy is especially present in “Last Dance,” the song Hymn describes as his most personal. Inspired by a conversation with his mother about love, growth, and self-worth, the song evolved into a reflection on letting go of older versions of yourself. “People we love are a manifestation of how we feel about ourselves,” Hymn tells me, a realization that became central to the track’s meaning.
What began as a song about relationships eventually became something much larger: a meditation on healing, accountability, and personal evolution. “Last Dance has been that reminder,” he says, reflecting on learning to move beyond old habits and old ways of thinking. The vulnerability in the song mirrors what Hymn describes as one of his greatest strengths as an artist. “I don’t try to be perfect,” he says. “I like my imperfections.”
Though his music often leans toward pop, Hymn describes it as world music because of the many sounds and spaces it draws from. He speaks passionately about exploring R&B more deeply, while also citing country music as a major inspiration for its raw storytelling. That emotional transparency seems to guide every part of his artistry, from the collaborators he gravitates toward to the stories he chooses to tell.
When Hymn thinks about legacy, he is less interested in preserving an image than in creating a connection. He wants listeners to hear themselves in his music years from now, to feel understood within it. In Hymn Marley’s world, music is not just personal expression. It is a shared experience.
Check out Hymn’s new song Last Dance.
Let us know what you think!
XOXO,
Your Fashion Bestie
Credit:
Main Image: Corseted Shirt -Theophilio; Suit-Catou Wear; Leather Fingerings -Laruicci; Mic & Stand –Guitar Center
Production:
Creative Direction -Styling –Mykel C.Smith
Photography – Soumitri Vadali
Grooming –Caldwell
Photographer’s Assistant –Alan Guallpa
Management – Alfredo Peralata
Studio – EZ Studios
