Complex Ricki Ft. Shane O – Different Ways

“Different Ways” puts Complex Ricki and Shane O in the same frame, and that pairing makes sense on paper and in sound. Ricki Simmonds, better known as Complex Ricki, has been carving out space in the reggae-fusion lane with songs that move between lovers rock sentiment, Afrobeats gloss, and dancehall attitude, while Shane O has long been one of dancehall’s more expressive voices, the kind of deejay who can switch from grit to melody without losing his edge. He first broke through as a teenager with “Lightning Flash” and has stayed around through a run of singles that made him a familiar name to fans who like their dancehall sharp, emotional, and a little unruly.

The title suggests a relationship story, and that is very much the lane these two tend to work best in: two people trying to read the same situation from opposite sides. The song sits in the world Complex Ricki has been pushing into lately, where feelings are front and center but the delivery still has a street-level pulse. Her recent work has leaned toward reggae and lovers rock with a contemporary sheen, and Shane O’s presence usually means the record gets a harder verbal bite and a more dancehall-forward stance. That tension is exactly what gives a duet like this its lift.

After13 Entertainment is the production name attached to the release, continuing its run with Complex Ricki after her recent singles. On this cut, the appeal is in the contrast: her smoother, more melodic phrasing against Shane O’s rougher, more patois-heavy cadence. It is the kind of combination that can turn a straightforward breakup tune into something more lived-in, with enough push and pull to keep the record moving.