Ziggy Marley issues Racism Is A Killa, announces Brightside album, tour

Ziggy Marley has released "Racism Is A Killa," the second single and precursor to his eight-song album Brightside, and announced a North American summer tour in support of the record. Brightside will arrive on vinyl and CD exclusively for Record Store Day on April 18, 2026, with a full digital release set for May 1, 2026.

News outlets and release materials frame "Racism Is A Killa" as a pointed political moment: press copy calls it "a timely and powerful statement" and a "pointed social statement timed with the closing days of both Black History Month and Reggae Month." Some coverage characterizes the track as equating inequality "to a disease deserving of eradication." There is a discrepancy in platform metadata and reporting on the single's street date: multiple outlets reported the single arriving Feb. 27, 2026, while a Spotify metadata screenshot included in the release packet shows a Feb. 24, 2026 date and a track duration image of 5:01, with ℗ 2026 Tuff Gong Worldwide listed.

Brightside is presented as an eight-song collection with the following track listing: "JAH We Give Glory," "Racism Is A Killa," "Hey People Now," "Why Let The World," "Many Mourn For Bob," "Sweet Divine," "Make It Paradise," and "Brightside." Release materials state the record "was co-produced by Ziggy and his brother Stephen Marley and recorded at Marley's Rebel Lion Studio in Los Angeles," and that the project "was recorded using 432Hz tuning, a frequency sometimes associated with meditative and wellness practices."

The album's guest roster, as listed in release materials, includes Nikka Costa, Trombone Shorty, Sheila E., and Jake Shimabukuro. Spotify and other platform metadata in the press assets show the album and single carrying the Tuff Gong Worldwide phonographic copyright for 2026, underscoring the release as part of the Marley family imprint.

Earlier in the month Marley issued the lead single "Many Mourn For Bob" on Feb. 6, 2026; that song was described in release text as "a tribute to his legendary father," and the single's video reportedly "includes never-before-seen footage of Ziggy and Bob together." In parallel with the Brightside rollout, Ziggy Marley released Love Is My Religion 20 (Live) for the 20th anniversary of Love Is My Religion; that live album is "available now at all digital streaming platforms."

The summer 2026 North American tour supporting Brightside includes marquee festival and amphitheater dates: Jazz Fest in New Orleans on May 1, Hollywood Bowl on June 21, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre for Kaya Fest on June 24, with routing continuing across the U.S. and Canada into July. Select shows will feature support from Burning Spear and J Boog, and additional special guests named for various stops include Trombone Shorty and Thievery Corporation. Social promotion in the release materials pushed streaming directly with the message, "STREAM THE SINGLE! RACISM IS A KILLA the new single Stream it TODAY wherever you listen ✌ ."

Brightside's Record Store Day physical availability on April 18 and its May 1 digital release set a tight timeline between collectible formats and streaming rollout, while the summer tour places Marley at major stages from Jazz Fest to Red Rocks as he brings the new material, collaborations, and the politically charged single to live audiences.