Christian R&B pop duo, The Stewarts, has revitalized an old favorite single, “Battle of Survival,” for modern times. The new version, “Battle of Survival - Remix,” is a daily reminder to stay strong, no matter what comes our way.

The Stewarts is comprised of brothers Del and Garry K Stewart. From a young age, the duo has been deeply involved in music. One brother played the keyboard, the other the drums from ages five and eight, respectively. “We were always singing, performing, and dancing,” they add. In fact, music runs in the family: one cousin played with Duke Ellington, another two were popular in the 50s and 60s, and their mother sang gospel with Sam Cooke in the 50s. Now, the duo boasts five decades of music making—and they’re not slowing down just yet.

Their most recent single prior to “Battle of Survival - Remix” was “Stand,” which won the Blue Chip Award in April and was on the up-and-coming charts for weeks on end.

Since their last release, The Stewarts have continued to fine-tune their signature sound. According to The Stewarts, their style is “Pop, Christian R&B. We talk about family and what’s going on in the country and current events. Our music is about keeping the faith in Jesus and staying strong, no matter how dark it is.”

“Battle of Survival - Remix” was originally released in 2013 as “Battle Survival,” based on an even earlier version written in the 1980s. The Stewarts returned to the single, adding keyboard parts and horns to give the song a new upbeat edge. “We’re dealing with what’s happening now in the current political atmosphere,” explain The Stewarts about why they’re bringing the song back to life. “A lot of people are experiencing job loss. There’s chaos going on right now, but we’re trying to put it out there to stay strong.”

Three weeks out from its release, the video for the single has already amassed more than 26,000 views. Tried and true, “Battle of Survival - Remix” sends as strong a message today as when the original come out more than a decade ago. “Back then, people were still going through hardship and turmoil. Others were going through personal changes,” add The Stewarts. “We like that it’s a song of hope and believing in dreams. If you can dream it, you can achieve it. God is in control.”

When writing music, The Stewarts let their songs evolve as they will. “Sometimes the melody comes first; sometimes the drum beat comes first,” they share. “There are times we’re texting each other different lyrics and ideas for a song.”

The Stewarts attribute their continued motivation to wanting to share a strong message about Christ and helping keep hope and dreams alive. These days, with music becoming a free for all for all sorts of artists, many of whom bash women and people through derogatory lyrics, The Stewarts believe in sharing a positive message. “We never want to bash anybody,” they share. “That’s why we’re focused on positive lyrics.”

Up next for the duo is the release of another remix, “Truth,” and ongoing music creation. “We release music as it feels right,” they add. At the end of the day, they’re here to remind us that “You can’t be great without the greatness of others. Check your ego at the door and be humble.”

Make sure to stay connected to The Stewarts on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.

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LOS ANGELES — Damion Seraglio Bond and Hannah Leyla are turning up the heat with “Pina in Your Colada,” a playful tropical duet built around flirtation, humor and the kind of chorus that practically demands a room full of people sing along.

Featured as the opening track on Tropical Vacay, “Pina in Your Colada” drops listeners directly into vacation mode. Tiki lights are glowing, steel drums are playing, drinks are flowing and Hannah and Damion are trading lines back and forth like two people who have decided subtlety can wait until after the trip.

That exaggerated approach was intentional.

“I worried that if I hewed too closely to a serious sexual expression, today’s rather Me-Too sensitive folks might misinterpret the point of the song,” songwriter and creator Lloyd Eric Cotsen said. “By keeping it light-hearted and even cheesy over the top, it’s clearly aiming for fun.”

Cotsen envisioned the track as the kind of local favorite heard at a packed tropical bar, where vacationers already know every word and become part of the performance. That idea shaped the song’s crowd vocals and call-and-response structure, including Hannah’s equally confident answers to Damion’s advances.

Creating that chemistry, however, became one of the biggest challenges behind the track.

Cotsen used AI music platform Suno to develop the recording, but directing the male and female vocals proved considerably harder than expected. He ultimately worked through more than 160 versions while trying to get the exchanges right, eventually bringing elements from separate versions to a sound engineer to create the final result.

That persistence helped produce one of the song's defining elements: a performance that feels less like a conventional studio recording and more like stumbling into a beach bar where the entire crowd already knows the chorus.

“Recreating the vibe of a live performance in a bar with a crowd finishing the lines of a song they know and love was something I would have bet Suno couldn’t do,” Cotsen said. “It did it masterfully.”

That atmosphere also made “Pina in Your Colada” a natural opener for Tropical Vacay. Cotsen wanted the album to function almost like a vacation soundtrack, maintaining a tropical atmosphere while moving between comedy, romance and more reflective moments.

“It seemed like the most fun, captured the tropical spirit of the album best,” he said of choosing the song as its first track.

The project continues Cotsen’s genre-hopping approach to songwriting. His work has moved through folk-country, blues, soul, gospel and dance, while Tropical Vacay gives him room to explore Trop Rock and the stories that emerge when people temporarily leave their everyday lives behind.

For Hannah and Damion, that means a relationship that is flirtatious, competitive and occasionally more complicated than the beach-bar antics suggest. Cotsen describes the pair as having a “playfully combative romantic relationship,” with Hannah written as a confident character who can give Damion every bit as much as she gets.

And the fictional duo may eventually move beyond the digital world. Cotsen plans to host a concert with live singers performing selections from his catalog within the next year while continuing work on several additional albums.

For now, “Pina in Your Colada” offers a simpler invitation: turn it up, embrace the ridiculousness and pretend the nearest drink comes with a tiny umbrella.

“Pina in Your Colada” is available now on Spotify as part of Tropical Vacay.

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