Camryn Levert, granddaughter of Eddie Levert and daughter of Gerald Levert, drops “cherry,” a disco-driven R&B single signaling a bold new era in May 2026
Camryn Levert already has a story before a single note plays. The granddaughter of O’Jays legend Eddie Levert and daughter of R&B icon Gerald Levert, who sold millions of albums and scored multiple No. 1 R&B hits before his death in 2006 at 40, she grew up inside one of soul music’s most storied bloodlines. On May 1, she released “cherry,” a disco-infused, funky pop-R&B single that marks the clearest statement yet of who she is as an artist on her own terms. It is playful and assured, built to make you feel good, and it arrives as the opening move of what feels like a genuine new chapter.
The track rides disco-inspired rhythms and a funky bassline that sit beneath shimmering synths and Levert’s soaring vocals. The sonic frame is warm and nostalgic in the way that the best pop-R&B always is, the kind of sound that feels immediately familiar but lands with a fresh energy. “Cherry” is about attraction and confidence. It does not overthink either of those things. It just lives inside them. Camryn’s bio on Instagram keeps it direct: “all things gerald levert.” The lineage is acknowledged. But “cherry” is clearly hers.
Building Her Own World: From ‘Disco Doll Daydream’ to ‘Cherry’
Before “cherry,” Camryn released her 2025 EP Disco Doll Daydream, a project that already signaled where her instincts lived sonically: bright, funky, feminine, and rooted in classic R&B sensibility updated for a modern dancefloor. Tracks from that project, including “live laugh love,” “run away,” and “way i like it,” established her voice as something genuinely her own, warm and technically capable, but most importantly, emotionally present in a way that connects. “Cherry” feels like a step forward from that foundation. The production is sleeker, the confidence higher, and the hook does not wait around.
She has spoken clearly about what she wants the song to do. “I hope ‘cherry’ makes everyone feel confident, feminine, playful, and free,” she said in a statement. “I want the song to feel like a mood you can escape into, something fun and colorful that still has heart behind it. More than anything, I hope listeners discover me through this record and then dive deeper into my story catalog.” That last part matters. Camryn is not releasing singles in a vacuum. She is building a catalog with intention, and “cherry” is designed to be a door into it.
Legacy, Innovation, and Why This Moment Matters
There is a particular kind of pressure that comes with a name like Levert in R&B. Eddie Levert anchored The O’Jays for decades, delivering classics that defined Philadelphia soul. Gerald followed with a run of No. 1 R&B hits and a duet with his father, “Baby Hold On to Me,” that went to the top of the R&B chart in 1992. Carrying that weight while carving something genuinely new is not an easy task, but “cherry” suggests Camryn has found her footing. The disco and funk influences she draws on connect directly to the lineage she comes from, but the execution is contemporary and personal. It does not sound like tribute. It sounds like arrival.
With 30,000 Instagram followers and growing momentum behind her 2025 EP, Camryn Levert is quietly building the kind of foundation that sustains a long career. “Cherry” is the song she wants new listeners to find first. It is a strong introduction.
