Tender Touch Riddim (2021 Soca) – Julianspromos x AdvoKit Productions
Tender Touch Riddim (2021 Soca) – Julianspromos x AdvoKit Productions
In October 2020, Julianspromos and AdvoKit Productions reunited for their third collaborative riddim project, the Tender Touch Riddim, released for the 2021 Soca season.
Featuring Patrice Roberts, Nailah Blackman, Olatunji, Hey Choppi, Melly Rose and Nigerian artist Skales, Tender Touch blended Soca with Afrobeat influences while exploring different forms of love, gratitude, attraction and appreciation.
The project arrived at an important moment in Julianspromos history. In October 2020, the Julianspromos YouTube channel surpassed 1 million subscribers, and Tender Touch became part of the celebration of that milestone, connecting the company’s growing global audience with another original music-production project.
[Insert Tender Touch Riddim artwork here]
The Third Julianspromos x AdvoKit Collaboration
Tender Touch continued a creative partnership between Julian Hackett and producer Kit Israel of AdvoKit Productions that had begun several years earlier.
The first collaboration was the Folklore Riddim, created in 2017 for the 2018 Soca season.
That was followed by the Twin Flame Riddim, released in 2018 for the 2019 Carnival season.
Tender Touch became the third major riddim created through the partnership.
In a 2020 interview with Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, Julian recalled that Kit brought the instrumental to his attention around July. Patrice Roberts’ recording was the first song Julian heard on the riddim before the complete project came together.
Soca Meets Afrobeat
Tender Touch was intentionally different from the earlier Julianspromos x AdvoKit projects.
The production combined elements of Soca and Afrobeat, creating a smoother Afro-Caribbean sound that could work beyond the traditional Carnival environment.
That direction was especially significant in 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic had shut down Carnivals and live events across the world, leaving the Soca industry facing an unusual question: could the music continue to grow without the traditional Carnival season driving releases?
For Julianspromos, Tender Touch became part of a broader effort to encourage artists and producers to continue releasing Soca year-round rather than waiting for Carnival.
Julian argued publicly during this period that Soca needed to move beyond its seasonal structure and build a stronger global streaming audience throughout the entire year.
Melly Rose x Skales – Shine Pon Me
One of the most internationally focused songs on the project was “Shine Pon Me” by Melly Rose and Nigerian artist Skales.
Written by Melly Rose, Kitwana Israel and Skales, the collaboration brought Trinidad and Tobago and Nigeria together over the Afro-Caribbean production.
“Shine Pon Me” centered on gratitude and positivity, giving the Tender Touch concept a spiritual and uplifting interpretation.
The collaboration with Skales also strengthened the project’s Afrobeat connection and extended its reach outside the traditional Soca artist network.
The song later attracted additional DJ remixes and international attention, further demonstrating how naturally the Tender Touch production could move between Soca and Afrobeat spaces.
Hey Choppi – Sidung
Hey Choppi contributed “Sidung,” one of the more playful recordings on the Tender Touch Riddim.
Written by Jennica Forde, Abraham Williams and Sean Padmore, the song brought a youthful, flirtatious energy to the production.
The record showed how the same riddim could support a completely different lyrical direction while maintaining the smooth Afro-Caribbean atmosphere connecting the project.
Hey Choppi’s contribution also continued Julianspromos’ broader history of supporting both established performers and younger Soca artists through major digital releases.
Patrice Roberts – Tender
Patrice Roberts delivered the title-inspired song “Tender.”
Written by Darryl Gervais and Patrice Roberts, the record became one of the central songs associated with the project.
“Tender” leaned into romance and affection, matching the overall emotional direction of the riddim.
The official music video gave the project an additional visual component and helped extend the release beyond audio-only promotion.
Patrice was also historically important to how Tender Touch developed. According to Julian Hackett, hers was the first recording he heard on the instrumental while the project was still taking shape.
Nailah Blackman – Trouble Wine
Nailah Blackman brought a different energy to Tender Touch with “Trouble Wine.”
Written by Nailah Blackman, Aisha Noel, Bjorn Graham and Anson Soveral, the song combined Nailah’s melodic style with a more sensual Carnival-oriented approach.
“Trouble Wine” added another dimension to the riddim, balancing the project’s themes of gratitude and romance with a song designed around movement, attraction and dance.
Nailah’s participation also connected Tender Touch with one of the leading voices of the newer generation of Trinidad and Tobago Soca.
Olatunji – Angel
Olatunji Yearwood completed the featured artist lineup with “Angel.”
Written by Olatunji, with Kitwana Israel also credited as composer, “Angel” offered another melodic interpretation of the Tender Touch production.
The song focused on admiration and affection, fitting naturally alongside the wider emotional themes explored throughout the riddim.
Olatunji had already worked with Julianspromos and AdvoKit on the previous Twin Flame Riddim, where he recorded “Thank Mama.”
His return on Tender Touch created another direct link between the second and third projects in the production partnership.
The Tender Touch Riddim Track List
The complete project featured:
Melly Rose x Skales – Shine Pon Me
Hey Choppi – Sidung
Patrice Roberts – Tender
Nailah Blackman – Trouble Wine
Olatunji – Angel
AdvoKit Productions – Tender Touch Riddim Instrumental
The six-track digital release arrived on October 22, 2020.
Production Credits
The Tender Touch Riddim was produced by AdvoKit Productions in collaboration with Julianspromos.
The project was mixed and mastered by AdvoKit Productions, with Kitwana Israel contributing to the writing and musical development of several recordings.
The songwriting credits included:
“Tender” – Darryl Gervais, Patrice Roberts
“Trouble Wine” – Nailah Blackman, Aisha Noel, Bjorn Graham, Anson Soveral
“Shine Pon Me” – Melly Rose, Kitwana Israel, Skales
“Sidung” – Jennica Forde, Abraham Williams, Sean Padmore
“Angel” – Olatunji Yearwood
The project was distributed digitally, giving the entire riddim a global release beyond the Julianspromos YouTube audience.
Celebrating One Million Subscribers
Tender Touch carries additional importance because its release coincided with one of the biggest milestones in Julianspromos history.
On October 13, 2020, the Julianspromos YouTube channel surpassed 1 million subscribers.
Press coverage throughout Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean highlighted the achievement, recognizing Julianspromos as a major global platform for Soca music.
Tender Touch was presented as part of the celebration.
Rather than marking the milestone only with an announcement, Julianspromos used the moment to release new music and continue expanding its role from music promotion into production and digital distribution.
A Global Audience for Soca
By the time Tender Touch was released, Julianspromos had developed an audience reaching well beyond Trinidad and Tobago and the traditional Caribbean diaspora markets.
Press coverage surrounding the one-million-subscriber milestone noted that the channel was reaching listeners in countries throughout Europe, Asia, North America and the Caribbean.
That reach made Tender Touch an ideal project for experimenting with a more international Soca sound.
The inclusion of Skales from Nigeria further reinforced the project’s connection between Caribbean music and the rapidly expanding global Afrobeat movement.
The riddim demonstrated that Soca collaborations did not need to remain restricted by island, genre or Carnival season.
Releasing Soca Without Carnival
Tender Touch also arrived during one of the strangest periods in modern Soca history.
The COVID-19 pandemic had effectively removed live Carnival as the industry’s traditional center.
Artists and producers were faced with canceled events, closed borders and uncertainty surrounding Trinidad Carnival 2021.
Rather than delaying the project, Julianspromos and AdvoKit released Tender Touch anyway.
Julian publicly encouraged Soca artists to continue creating and releasing music, arguing that the absence of Carnival could become an opportunity to move Soca away from an overly seasonal model.
Tender Touch therefore became more than another riddim.
It represented the idea that Soca could exist, grow and find audiences even when Carnival itself was unavailable.
Folklore, Twin Flame and Tender Touch
Looking back, the three projects form a distinct chapter in Julianspromos history.
Folklore Riddim marked Julian Hackett’s first riddim-production project with Kit Israel.
Twin Flame Riddim expanded the collaboration with a larger group of artists.
Tender Touch Riddim returned to the partnership during a global pandemic while also celebrating Julianspromos reaching one million YouTube subscribers.
Each project reflected a different stage in the company’s evolution.
Together, they document Julianspromos moving from simply promoting and distributing Soca music into direct involvement with the creative and production process.
From the Julianspromos Music History Archives
Tender Touch Riddim (2021 Soca) – Julianspromos x AdvoKit Productions is preserved as part of the Julianspromos Music History Archive, documenting the company’s direct involvement in Caribbean music creation and production.
Released on October 22, 2020, the project featured Patrice Roberts, Nailah Blackman, Olatunji, Hey Choppi, Melly Rose and Skales, with production by AdvoKit Productions in collaboration with Julianspromos.
It became the third major riddim collaboration between Julian Hackett and Kit Israel, following Folklore and Twin Flame.
Tender Touch also arrived alongside one of Julianspromos’ defining digital milestones: surpassing one million YouTube subscribers worldwide.
More than simply a 2021 Soca release, the riddim represents a moment when Julianspromos’ history in promotion, digital media, production and international Soca distribution came together within one project.
