Dance Vibes and New Sounds: What's Next for Justine Skye in 2024

It’s not every day someone from Tumblr makes it to the big stage, but that’s exactly how Justine Skye began her career. In 2012, Justine began building a loyal fanbase on the website, which helped her propel the beginnings of her music career.

When she released her cover of Drake’s “Headlines,” she gained millions of views on YouTube, and it was all uphill from there. She soon released her first single, “Skye High,” and was eventually signed by Atlantic Records.

However, in 2021, Justine wanted more freedom regarding her music, so she launched her independent label, Nynetineth. It was under this label that she released her album “Space & Time.”

Justine released “Space & Time” in 2021 with 11 songs, including the most popular ones “Intruded,” “Conscious,” “Innocent,” and “In My Bag.” Because she was now on an independent label, Justine had all the creative freedom she wanted. She experimented with sounds and songs, and this also allowed her to add a lot more character to her songs.

Justine is notably more open and vulnerable in this album than in her previous ones. In it, she sings about her insecurities and past relationships, and she also sings about her growth over the years and gaining confidence.

Meanwhile, the sounds of the album were a mixed bag. Justine is known as an R&B singer, so the album had a lot of that. But it also contained futuristic sounds, pop music, dance music, and even Afro-fusion, which all created a very unique sound for the album.

“My story and my sound finally unite. I’ve never been as vulnerable or as candid as I am on this album. I’m really laying it all out, having fun, talking shit, and being me,” Justine said in a statement, per Complex.

Part of the reason for the mixed sounds was because Justine got Timbaland to produce most of the album. She also collaborated with Justin Timberlake for “Innocent,” and Rema on “Twisted Fantasy.”

“Space and Time” got mixed reviews. On the one hand, her loyal fans loved every bit of it. They loved the new sounds and loved that she was going independent and experimenting with her music. They especially loved how vulnerable Justine was on the album.

On the flip side, several people called out the album for having too many genres. To them, the songs sounded completely different from one another, and this led to the album lacking an identity. People who weren’t fans of Timbaland’s futuristic style also criticized the album for having too much of him.

On the charts, the album didn’t do too well. It didn’t smash any records, or win any nominations. However, the impact it had on fans was not to be underestimated, who praised her for being herself.

“Incredible that a Black female artist is doing her thing like this. I hope she gets the recognition she deserves because she's inspiring other black girls like me” someone commented on YouTube.

In 2023, Justine released her “Dark Side” album, which was just a collection of her most popular songs.

Later in October, she released a single “Whip It Up” which once again contains a modern sound on an R&B base, which is slowly but surely becoming Justine’s unique style. As for 2024, Justine told Billboard she is “currently working on a new project,” and hints it will be “more upbeat [and] dance kind of vibes” and excited to keep rolling out this new sound.”

She continued, “I want to encourage and be a part of the shift in music that gets people back on the dance floor. Every day I learn something new about life and myself and it all helps me grow and expand creatively.”

We can’t wait!