DARKSPARK UNVEILS VERSIONS – DOUBLES VOL. 2

The second installment in a groundbreaking series of “doubles” has been released, where two rising stars collaborate on distinct tracks crafted from the same shared beat. Presented by the award-winning Canadian artist collective Darkspark, this project offers the first of three glimpses into The Versions Soundtrack—a collection of 27 Anthems for Change. Set to drop on December 11, the soundtrack unites emerging global talent with renowned songwriters, iconic musicians, and top-tier producers.

VERSIONS – DOUBLES VOL. 2

The VERSIONS Project brought together 27 rising artists from across the globe for a year-long mentorship journey, united by a common goal: harnessing their music to drive meaningful change. Guided by iconic mentors such as Sean Paul and top producers with credits for artists like Drake and Shaggy, these creators crafted individual songs over shared beats. This approach draws inspiration from Jamaica’s “versioning” tradition, where multiple artists build unique tracks from the same rhythm—a technique that has shaped hip-hop and empowered communities for decades. 

These releases feature songs written over a beat by Grammy-nominated Jamaican producer JLL (Drake, Smino) and The Wixard. “Switch Spots”, written by artist ZT Unix, explores the idea of how life would’ve been different for this Birmingham, Alabama native had he been born into different skin. A young, Black artist, born into a deeply musical family, Zen’s story is one of struggle and resilience. 

“Switch Spots” asks the listener to question what would happen to Zen’s white peers if they were forced to suddenly switch spots and live a day in his shoes. Guided by Zen’s rapid paced, lyrically profound performance Zen’s motive with Switch Spots is clear: “What I want people to get out of my VERSION is mindfulness, having one side know how the other operates and vice versa, and why they operate that way. I feel like that would help create some kind of bridge to fix the disconnect that we have.”

A few states over, in Charlotte, North Carolina comes a song as powerful as its creator Victoria Ibek. “Lucky” is a sweeping anthem propelled by Ibek’s nimble and effortless voice, which she developed and trained herself. A pre-med student, born and raised by a single mother who immigrated from Lagos, Nigeria, Ibek’s story is one of a young woman rising despite all odds. Losing her mother at a young age, Victoria and her sister learned to navigate the world alone – music was her way of processing and expressing the many challenges she faced in her young life. Now a student at Los Angeles Academy for Artists and Music Production (LAAMP), studying music, Ibek shares a personal story of triumph in the face of adversity with “Lucky”. “This song is a conversation – you look at me and see the things I’ve been through, and might think it was easy because of the way I handled it. But, our trauma shapes us, and it’s impossible to know how someone’s truly been affected from how they present on the outside.”

A set of Doubles will be released weekly, ahead of the full soundtrack launch on December 11. Each Double will contain two “versions” created from the same shared beat, highlighting unique voices and perspectives from young artists across the globe.