Music
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BTS’ latest accomplishment is smooth like butter! The group notched their seventh entry into YouTube‘s Billion Views club with their 2021 music video for “Butter.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Their previous videos to hit one billion views on the platform include “Dynamite,” “Boy With Luv” featuring Halsey and “DNA,” among […]
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” ascends three spots to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart (dated Dec. 7).
The ballad, on Streamline/Atlantic/Interscope/ICLG, becomes Gaga’s first leader on the radio ranking, and Mars’ fourth. He previously reigned as featured on Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!,” for a week in 2015, and with his own “When I Was Your Man” (two weeks, 2013) and “Just the Way You Are” (five, 2010).
Among her 12 Adult Pop Airplay top 10s, Gaga had reached a prior No. 2 best with two hits: “Shallow,” with Bradley Cooper, in 2019, and “The Edge of Glory,” in 2011.
Gaga tops Adult Pop Airplay 15 years, 11 months and two weeks after she first appeared on the chart dated Dec. 20, 2008, when “Just Dance,” featuring Colby O’Donis, debuted (on its way to a No. 7 peak). She ends the longest wait for a first No. 1 dating to an initial visit to the chart since Elton John and Britney Spears’ “Hold Me Closer” led for a week in March 2022. John ranked (with “Blessed”) on the chart dated March 16, 1996, when the list first published in Billboard’s print edition. Spears arrived on the survey in March 1999 with her breakthrough classic, “…Baby One More Time.”
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The Adult Pop Airplay chart ranks songs by weekly plays on 80 adult top 40 radio stations monitored by Mediabase, with data provided to Billboard by Luminate.
Gaga burnishes her overall radio chart résumé, as she also boasts eight No. 1s Pop Airplay, four on Dance/Mix Show Airplay and two on the all-format Radio Songs ranking.
“Die With a Smile” crowned the Billboard Global 200 chart for eight weeks in September-October, the most for any song this year. It has tallied over 100 million streams globally in each of the last 13 weeks (through the Dec. 7-dated chart), the longest such streak since the survey began in September 2020.
On the Billboard Hot 100, “Die With a Smile” has hit a No. 2 high. It has ranked in the top 10 for all 15 of its weeks on the chart so far, dating to its late-August entrance – the most frames in the region consecutively from a debut week for any of Gaga’s 18 top 10s, one-upping “Applause,” which spent its first 14 weeks on the chart in the top 10 in 2013.
Holiday music is one area of pop music where being dead isn’t a hindrance. A slight majority of the songs on Billboard’s Holiday 100, which relaunches this week, are by artists who have passed on. (The exact tally is 52 out of 100 – and six of the top 10.)
Several of the artists who provide the soundtrack to holiday specials, parties and trips to the mall have been dead longer than most of the current pop audience has been alive. Bing Crosby, who sang the Oscar-winning “White Christmas” in the 1942 film Holiday Inn, died in 1977. Elvis Presley, who gave us “Blue Christmas” in 1957, also died that year.
Vince Guaraldi, whose music for A Charlie Brown Christmas has been a part of every holiday season since that Peabody-winning TV special first aired in 1965, died in 1976. Judy Garland, whose “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” has made us misty she introduced it in her 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis, died in 1969. Nat “King” Cole, who introduced “The Christmas Song” in 1946 when he was fronting The King Cole Trio, died in 1965.
Crosby has seven songs on the current Holiday 100, more than any other departed artist. Cole is tied for second place with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Andy Williams, with four songs each.
Holiday music has greatly extended these and many other artists’ era of relevance. Williams’ last non-holiday song to crack the Hot 100 was in 1976. Martin last charted with a non-holiday song in 1969; Crosby in 1957, the year before the inception of the Hot 100.
When it comes to holiday music, whether an artist is alive or dead doesn’t matter very much. In a way, that’s fitting. Family members who are no longer with us are still frequently part of our holiday traditions. You may serve your holiday dinner on your Grandma’s treasured china, or always make your aunt’s special cranberry sauce, or make a point of playing your mom’s favorite Johnny Mathis Christmas album. You may remember these departed family members when you say grace before dinner – or even bother to say grace at all because they would have wanted it that way.
More than any other time of the year, it’s a time for tradition. And music is very much part of those traditions.
Here are all the artists on the current Holiday 100 (dated Dec. 7, 2024) who are no longer with us. They are ranked in order of the current chart position of their highest-charting song, with other charted songs by the same artist grouped with them. Songs by duos and groups are included if the lead singer on that song has died. We also include the departed leaders of two mostly instrumental acts – Guaraldi, the leader of the Vince Guaraldi Trio, and Paul O’Neill, the founder, instrumentalist and composer of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The year shown in parentheses is the year the song was first released by that artist. (Some were re-recorded by the same artist multiple times.)
George Michael
Chappell Roan was on countless people’s 2024 Spotify Wrapped roundups, but who was on hers?
On Wednesday (Dec. 4), the 26-year-old pop star revealed which artists were in her top five at the close of the year, sharing an old photo of herself posing next to a car decked out in camo-print decals on Instagram and writing, “this pic kind of insane.”
“Ps,” she added. “My Spotify wrapped most listened to artists were 1. Ariana [Grande] 2. Charli [XCX] 3. Heart 4. Justice 5. Kacey Musgraves.”
“Top song was barracuda ofc,” Roan added, referencing her third-most-streamed artist’s 1977 hit.
The Missouri native’s post comes on the same day Spotify unveiled its annual Wrapped feature, allowing users to see which artists and songs they streamed the most over the course of 2024 through specially curated playlists and shareable data cards. The platform also revealed its most-streamed artists overall — Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, Drake and Billie Eilish, in that order — as well as its most popular songs of the year.
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Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” garnered the most listens globally on Spotify this year, followed by Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” FloyyMenor and Cris Mj’s “Gata Only” and Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control.” In the U.S., however, Roan scored the sixth-most streamed song with breakthrough single “Good Luck, Babe!” — which surpassed one billion streams just a few days prior to Wrapped arriving — bested only by “Espresso,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Post Malone and Morgan Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” and Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” nationally.
The “Hot to Go” singer’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, was also the fifth-most streamed album in the U.S. Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology was No. 1 at home, followed by Wallen’s One Thing at a Time, Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet and Noah Kahan’s Stick Season.
Roan has previously expressed her fandom of Grande, calling herself an “Arianator” in an August livestream and adding that she was “so excited” to see Wicked. She also gave Charli a shout-out in her September Rolling Stone cover story, naming the “Von Dutch” artist as one of several female stars who had reached out to her with support during the emotional low-points of her rise to fame, along with Katy Perry, Lorde, Muna, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and more.
The Saudi National Orchestra and Choir held a performance of the “Marvels of Saudi Orchestra” in Tokyo on November 22 at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall: Takemitsu Memorial.
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The Saudi National Orchestra and Choir was formed in 2019 and began its “Marvels of Saudi Orchestra” world tour to share Saudi Arabian musical culture with the world. The Tokyo concert was its fifth, following performances in Paris, Mexico City, New York, and London.
The concert presented a fusion of the two countries, with performances of traditional Saudi Arabian and Japanese music by the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir, the Orchestra Academy of Tokyo College of Music, and special guest, guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei. The audience was enthralled by the sounds of the traditional Arabic instruments, which there are few opportunities to hear in Japan, and the unique melodies they played.
The concert began with words from Paul Pacifico, CEO of the Saudi Music Commission. 2025 will mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Saudi Arabia, and Pacifico expressed his gratitude for being able to perform in Tokyo before this momentous occasion. He also spoke of the importance of music as a shared language that can bridge the world.
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In the first part of the show, a Japanese gagaku court music group performed “Ryo-o,” a court music and dance piece. A ryuteki flute began playing the melody and was joined by drums and a small metal gong. A dancer, bedecked in red and wearing a mask, appeared on stage and began to dance. Sho panpipes, hichriki flutes, and other instruments joined in, and the energy mounted. The audience was overwhelmed by the stately dance performance, a tradition carried on for over a thousand years.
Part two of the concert consisted of performances by the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir. Along with typical orchestral instruments like the violin and cello were traditional Arabic instruments, like the oud, the zither-like qanun, and the daf, a percussion instrument made of leather stretched over a circular frame, creating a grand spectacle.
The first piece, the rhythmical “Al-Hawa Al-Ghaib,” began with a short introduction on the strings, which were then joined by the other instruments of the orchestra. The tremolo and intricate performance techniques of the ouds and the solo performed on the qanun made the song a pleasant and soothing one.
This was followed by “Wardak Ya Zaar Al-Ward.” The violin solo with which the piece began danced nimbly between low and high notes, an example of superb playing with a complex rhythm that wound its way through tight tonal intervals. Then the orchestra and chorus came in, performing passionate, soaring music.
The next piece was the up-tempo “Shaqni Jaw Al-Janub,” followed by “Tarahib Bi Ghayri,” with a beautiful delicate qanun solo over a rich backing of string instruments playing in unison, and then “Al-Qaid,” a piece that stood out for its fun interplay of cheery flute melodies and men’s and women’s choirs.
Part two ended with an anime medley. The orchestra, choir, and a female solo vocalist performed Arabic versions of Japanese anime theme songs such as UFO Robot Grendizer, Captain Tsubasa, Case Closed, and Pokemon. When the performance ended, the audience showered the performers with cheers and whistles, a testament to the popularity of Japanese anime.
The musical language of classical music, which is now used in countries throughout the world, cannot be applied to Arabic music. There are musical intervals smaller than semitones, making them unplayable on a piano. There are unique scales. The Saudi National Orchestra is a relatively new orchestra, yet it is unique in the way it flexibly combines traditional Arabic music with the orchestra of classical music to share that music with the world. This show, as well, was notable for the way it deftly brought together classical music, popular music, and traditional Arabic music to entertain the audience.
In the third and final part of the show, the orchestra collaborated with Japanese musicians. The stage was packed with the members of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir and the Orchestra Academy of Tokyo College of Music. This was the first time the Saudi National Orchestra had played with a Japanese orchestra, and this momentous occasion began with a fanfare of brass instruments playing the march-like “Opening of Al-Ula.” After this, the audience enjoyed a rousing medley of famous Saudi Arabian songs, winding through tune after tune.
With passions still high, special guest Tomoyasu Hotei took to the stage, clapping for the two nations’ orchestras, and together they performed “Battle Without Honor or Humanity,” from the film Kill Bill. The sound of Hotei’s guitar melted seamlessly into the two orchestras, and he showed the full range of his virtuoso skills, including a blazing guitar solo.
The concert ended with the Saudi national song “Ammar Ya Darna.” The Saudi Arabian flag fluttered on the monitors and many members of the audience raised their phone flashlights and swung them back and forth in time with the music.
The concert was a demonstration of the way music transcends barriers of language and culture to be enjoyed by all. Through the medium of music, the “Marvels of Saudi Orchestra” showed a new beginning of deeper relationships between the people of Saudi Arabia and Japan.
—This article by Misuzu Yamashita first appeared on Billboard Japan
Zach Bryan and Kings of Leon are set for a special concert at Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field in San Francisco, California as part of the next installment of the Golden Gate Park Concert series. The show is set for Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, from 3 p.m. – 10 p.m. Explore See latest videos, charts […]
Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT.” holds at No. 1 for the third consecutive week on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, on the chart released Dec. 4.
Compared to last week, the global hit saw an increase of 115% in streaming, 132% in downloads, and 141% in video views, which is a greater increase overall than the week before. This song also topped Billboard’s Global 200 for the sixth week.
SEVENTEEN‘s “Shohikigen” debuts at No. 2. The title track off the group’s fourth Japan single is being featured as the theme song for the NHK drama series Mirai no Watashi ni Bukkamasareru!?. The track sold 514,234 copies in its first week, the most ever for the group, and came in at No. 1 for sales, No. 29 for downloads and No. 54 for video views.
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Creepy Nuts’ “Otonoke” follows at No. 3, with streaming down to 96%, downloads to 94%, radio airplay to 56%, and video to 94% compared to the week before.
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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Bitter Vacances” debuts at No. 6. The theme for the upcoming live-action movie Saint Young Men rules downloads and comes in at No. 8 for streaming, No. 10 for video, and No. 55 for radio. The latest release by the three-man band is the inaugural No. 1 song on Billboard Japan’s new Hot Shot Songs chart that launched this week, ranking currently trending songs.
In other news, BIGBANG’s “FANTASTIC BABY’ returns to the Japan Hot 100 for the first time in 6 years and 11 months, coming in at No. 55. BIGBANG made headlines at the 2024 MAMA Awards held at Kyocera Dome Osaka on Nov. 23rd, when members SOL and D-LITE appeared unannounced during G-DRAGON’s performance. G-DRAGON’s “HOME SWEET HOME (feat. TAEYANG & DAESUNG)” also bows at No. 21 this week.
As December rolls around, back number’s seasonal staple “Christmas Song” rises 26-19 with streams increasing by 18%. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” also returns to the Japan Hot 100 for the first time in 11 months, with video, streams, downloads, and radio showing increases.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
GloRilla topped Billboard‘s 10 hottest female rappers of 2024 list, and the “Yeah Glo!” star took to social media to spread the love.
“Ayyeee,” she wrote alongside a series of celebration emojis on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday (Dec. 4). “s/o to all da women on da list !!! We dem [fire emoji].”
Other rappers who made this year’s list include, in descending order, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, Sexyy Red, Latto, Doechii, Doja Cat, JT, Rapsody and Cardi B.
GloRilla is no stranger to a massive accomplishment, and she notched yet another one just last week. Her Sexyy Red collaboration, “Whatchu Kno About Me” topped the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart.
In October, she dropped her debut album, GLORIOUS, featuring Megan Thee Stallion, Latto, Sexyy Red, Kirk Franklin, T-Pain and more.
“Last year, I was supposed to drop my debut album, but I was still just getting used to stuff and working a lot,” Glo told Billboard of the project. “When the top of the year came, I had the project basically done. I was like, ‘OK, I gotta give them the mixtape before I give them the album,’ because I went the whole year without dropping anything. That’s why I said I was gonna give them the mixtape first, get em’ back used to me first, give ’em a feel of me, and then that’s gonna prep me for the album. The mixtape did good and did what it was supposed to do, which prepped me for my album.”
The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard Hot 100 dated Dec. 14, 2024, we dive into the post-Thanksgiving holiday rush and if it will overwhelm Kendrick Lamar’s Hot 100 dominance.
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Kendrick Lamar, “TV Off” and “Squabble Up” (pgLang/Interscope/ICLG): Kendrick Lamar’s surprise-released GNX album debuts atop this week’s Billboard 200 (dated Dec. 7), while absolutely blanketing the Hot 100, with seven songs bowing in the top 10 and 10 in its top 15. That of course includes the No. 1-debuting “Squabble Up” — which halts Shaboozey’s chances of scoring an unprecedented 20th week at No. 1 with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” at least for now – as well as “TV Off” right behind it, and the SZA collab “Luther” at No. 3. (Lamar also has the Nos. 4 and 5 songs this week, making him one of just four artists in Hot 100 history to simultaneously claim an entire top five.)
Next week, though, Lamar may have two songs competing to be his top-ranking on the chart. The viral “TV Off” has overtaken “Squabble” on both the real-time Apple Music and Daily Top Songs USA Spotify rankings – as has “Luther,” though “TV” still leads both – but “Squabble” has the advantage of both a buzzy music video and an early lead on radio, with 4.6 million in all-format airplay Nov. 29-Dec. 2 (the first four days of the tracking week), according to Luminate. (The other two are also getting some airplay; “TV Off” is at 3.1 million and “Luther,” 2.6 million.)
All three, of course, will invariably be down in consumption as excitement wears off from the GNX surprise release. It’s only wearing off slowly, though – the album still claims the top three Daily Top Songs USA on Spotify, and incredibly, the entire top 10 on Apple Music’s real time chart – so both songs should still be in the mix.
Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (Columbia/Legacy): Mariah Season officially kicks off immediately after Halloween, but it always hits a new gear after Thanksgiving wraps. Sure enough, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has been jing-jing-jingling up the rankings on streaming, sales and radio this week — per building data, it’s the highest-ranking holiday song in all three Hot 100 metrics, with double-digit percentage gains expected in streaming and airplay. The song also returns to the Hot 100’s top 10 this week, at No. 10.
If it can’t capture the top spot next week – and it will be a strong contender to do so — it may get a particular boost the week after, with the Dec. 6 (Friday) release of four physical versions of the 1994 single, in celebration of its 30th anniversary. If and when it does get to No. 1 on the Hot 100, it would mark the song’s 15th week atop the chart – leaving it just four shy of the all-time mark now shared by Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song” and Lil Nas X’s Billy Ray Cyrus-featuring “Old Town Road” — meaning it might not be more than a holiday season or two away from putting that record in its sights.
Brenda Lee, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (Decca/MCA Nashville/UMe) & Wham!, “Last Christmas” (Columbia/Legacy): Don’t forget about the artist who briefly snuck in past the Queen of Christmas last year: Brenda Lee, whose “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” finally became a Hot 100 No. 1 for the first time, over 60 years after its original release. Lee’s back this year, and while the promo push isn’t as hard for “Rockin’” as it was in 2023, the song is absolutely still in contention for the top spot, as it leads “All I Want” on Daily Top Songs USA and is right behind it on the overall Hot 100 (at No. 15 this week).
The third-highest Christmas song on this week’s Hot 100 (No. 18) belongs not to traditional holiday bronze medalist Bobby Helms – whose 1957 perennial “Jingle Bell Rock” has ultimately slotted into the No. 3 spot each year since 2019 – but to Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” possibly something of a sentimental favorite this year due to the 1984 synth-pop classic celebrating its 40th anniversary. And like “All I Want,” it may have an extra boost coming to it in the near future: Four physical versions of the single will be on sale on Dec. 13, the week after the Carey physicals, which could finally get it to that No. 3 spot on the next week’s chart – or even higher.
Decemeber has arrived, and that means we’ll be getting more than a few tastes of the soca anthems seeking to dominate Carnival season next year. But December also means the return of Sting — a notoriously length reggae and dancehall showcase that has been held annually in Jamaica on Dec. 26 since 198. Home to countless iconic moments in the worlds of reggae and dancehall, Sting will return this month with a genreation-bridging lineup, including Tommy Lee Sparta, Turbulence, Teflon, Gyptian, Jamal, Quada, Jahmiel, Bushman, Dwayne Stephenson, Shane O, Macka Diamond, Laden, Skippa, Kant10t, Ace Gawd and more.
“We’re trying to slide away from all the things that may hamper us in the future,” said CEO of Supreme Promotions Tahheer Lain said at the press launch. “So, I’m trying to give the show a softer feel. As much as it’s a rough cut show, I’m trying to soften it because we realise that a lot of our younger artists they may not have the capability, or pattern of thinking as the older artists… one time it was just Sting, now it’s Sting Live.”
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There’s one other major performance set to take Jamaica by storm this month, and that’s Vybz Kartel‘s Freedom Street New Year’s Eve homecoming concert — his first live show since being released from prison after serving a 13-year sentence.
Naturally, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs. So, without any further ado:
Freshest Find: Bunji Garlin, “Carry It”
Bunji Garlin is one of the most dependable soca artists that we have, and he already has is eyes set on the 2025 road soundtrack. Self-written and produced by Stemz Productions alongside some live guitar from Kyle Peters, “Carry It” finds Bunji uses the frenetic energy of power soca drums to sing a triumphant story in remembrance of his roots and the unique dynamism that comes the resilience of soca music. “Where can I find that energy, the raw raw magic that comes down from the grass-roots/ Yes ah from a place where soca the resounding power/ Yuh could feel anytime any hour, sunshine or shower,” he proclaims in the opening verse.
Hey Choppi, “Titanic”
With production from Spine and Sucre and writing credits from soca legend Machel Montana, “Titanic” was always destined to be a homerun. Nonetheless, it takes a remarkably committed vocal performance — like that of Hey Choppi — to make sure every last piece falls into place. For his take on the “Kompa Fever” riddim, Choppi builds on Rose and Jack’s iconic Titanic love story with a tender, melodic vocal that plays well against the kompa guitars weaved throughout the soundscape.
Nessa Preppy, “Go Bestie”
To close out November, Badjohn Republic and NMG Music teamed up for the “Yes Please” riddim, which Trinidadian soca star Nessa Preppy absolutely slid across. “Go bestie, go twin/ Go bestie, go twin/ Yuh badder den alla dem/ Yuh hotter den alla dem,” she decalres at the song’s outset, seamlessly switching from a flirty flasetto to a comparatively more commanding chest voice as she sings her support for her bestie as they both enjoy themselves at a given function. “Yes Please” also appears on Nessa’s new Little Miss Arima album, which arrived on Nov. 11 featuring collaborations with Yung Bredda, Lady Lava, Freetown Collective and V’ghn.
Konshens, Silent Addy & 1Mind, “Slow Motion”
For the past decade, Konshens has been a formidable force across dancehall music and this new collaboration with Silent Addy and 1Mind’s Mac Sutphin only reiterates that fact. “Slow Motion” finds the Kingston MC relishing his time spent caught up in the hypnosis of the night’s reigning bad gyal. “How yuh full a style suh? How yuh full a vibes suh?/ What is it about you? How mi jus’ a smile suh?/ Tek di money, tek di money, baby hold a coil nuh/ Cool and deadly, dah love yah nuffi wild up,” he sing-raps over the slow-burninng, synth-laden production. A master when it comes to gyal tunes, Konshens adds another banger to his arsenal with “Slow Motion.”
Malie Donn & Byron Messia, “Alive”
This summer, Malie Donn quickly followed-up last year’s “V6” breakthrough with “Whats Popping,” and now he’s finally unleashed his debut studio album. One of the standout tracks on the album is “Alive,” a collaboration with Byron Messia that trades in a particularly grim brand of gratitiude. The two dancehall stars are, of course, happy with their success and riches, but even the twinkling piano can’t conjure up the warmth that’s noticeably missing from the simmering track.
Shuga, “Love Doctor”
Lovesickness is an emotion that thousands of songs across genres have explored — and Shuga has dropped off one of her own. Set as the lead single from her forthcoming Girl from Montego Bay album, the Donovan Germain-produced “Love Doctor” is inspired by Shuga’s then-boyfriend (now husband). “I’m calling for the love doctor/ ‘Cause tonight, I need some healing/ I’ve got to see the love doctor/ ‘Cause right now I’m in my feelings,” she earnestly sings over gentle reggae guitars in the hook. Grown and tasteful, “Love Doctor” is the kind of intergenerational banger that makes reggae so special.
Jaz Elise, “Unforgettable”
From an opening that recalls the synthesized harp of “The Boy Is Mine” to that whimisical swell of the final chorus, “Unforgettable” is yet another gorgeous release from Jaz Elise. “I won’t take this thing we have for granted/ Feels so good, so natural/ Nuh odda one compare to you, you have it/ A kiss from you, so magical,” she proclaims over a J.L.L. and IzyBeats-helmed soundscape that uses an ebullient horn section to contour its traditional reggae production. Following “Gunman” earlier this year, Jaz Elise is two for two when it comes to 2024 solo releases.
A-Suh Boss, “Chappa Cry”
Beyoncé gifted us her Renaissance album in 2022, and now it’s A-Suh Boss’ turn. For “Chappa Cry,” the opening track of his debut album — also titled Renaissance, to be clear — A-Suh Boss provides a gritty, reflective soundtrack for all the ghetto youths who dream far bigger than their present circumstances. “The house used to leak when rain fall/ Used to dress, guh school inna same shorts/ Life never sweet, dem days hard/ Life change from mi mek di sweepstakes call,” he sing-raps over the Monk Music-helmed production.
Kes, “Cocoa Tea”
Few can hold a candle to Kes when it comes to groovy soca, and “Cocoa Tea” is just further proof why. After dropping off Man With No Door earlier this year — the award-winning soca band’s first studio LP in a decade — Kes has returned with “Cocoa Tea,” an endlessly sweet ode to a love that warms you up like a mug of the chocolate-y beverage. “Darling, heat me up/ Only you alone could put fire back in me soul/ Heat me up/ And they telling me ah should leave that fire alone/ Well, the more they tell me is the more I holding you close,” lead singer Kees Dieffenthaller croons in the pre-chorus before the song explodes into a groovy soca fantasia in the chorus.
Lady Lava & Jordan English, “Baddd B”
For his “Bad B” remix, Jordan English staged a collaboration between Barbados and Trinidad, tapping Lady Lava, who recently received her flowers from Cardi B, for a sizzling guest verse. “Bad B” is English’s take on DJ Vibes, Hit It Records and Supa Nytro’s “Pressure” riddim — a sparse, percusssive number with ample room for MCs to flow over. An easy-rocking, tongue-in-cheek tune sure to set the dance floors ablaze as we enter the new year, look for “Bad B” to have some legs going into the spring.