Due to the current world event, the Barbadian government made the very difficult, but correct decision to cancel Crop Over 2020. Yes, that’s right. I said 2020. Because I originally wrote this introduction last year and almost nothing has changed. I can literally just use the majority of this introduction as is.
The cancellation of Crop Over for two straight years has given us the weirdest music release I think the island has ever seen. Since soca is normally a communal music experience, with parties banned and bars closed we saw many artists decide to hold back tunes for 2022. But some of them released new music anyway. Today, I’ll be counting down my personal top five list of those songs.
I am not saying these are the songs that would’ve carried away all the awards had Crop Over happened. What I am saying is that these are the songs I personally like to listen to. This list is not objective, nor is it calculated. Again, these are the songs that I like. Feel free to make your own list if you don’t see your favourite here. And to be honest, what wunna gin really do? Flog me?
5. “Ba Ba Ben (Remix)” – DJ Cheem (ft. Lyrikal, Noah Powa, & Lil Rick)
So there are a couple of reasons why this is at number five, despite it being my favourite bashment tune for the year. It’s kinda just a remix of a tune from a while ago…and it’s also kinda not really soca on a whole? It’s close enough for me to allow it on my list…but it’s my list and you all cannot cut my tail.
Preamble aside, this remix so hard. Lil Rick’s verse in particular is what really made me say: “Yea, this is it for sure. No doubt.” The tune’s riddim is infectious, as all bashment soca should be. It was stupid popular with the girls on Tik Tok last year, and the way they were getting on with the dance? *Chef’s kiss*
4. “Reminisce” – Sugahrhe
She really put out a real decent body of work this year. I feel like she took this time to show that she’s not an artist to be overlooked or whose work is to be played as filler. It’s hard to articulate what exactly it is that’s the driving force of this tune to me. There’s just something there. It has a real groovy energy to it. It’s something you cannot help but bop and move to. I’m really vibing with that.
This song was produced by Ryan Holder. The intro gives it a bit of an afro beat feel to me, yet still has a distinct Caribbean flavor. There’s a particular instrument in it that just has my head moving every time I hear it and the lyrics just hit me right in the covid protocols. Even as I’m writing this, I find myself just rewinding constantly and focusing on the song and vibing. Big up yuhself on the tune SugahRhe.
3. “Always Summer” – Faith Callender
One thing I like about this song, for sure, is that it’s not just a Crop Over song; it’s a summer anthem. This can be played anywhere in the world to bring that traditional summer vibe to any setting. Winter in Sweden? Nah, it’s summer time. Raining outside? Put this on and I bet the sun comes out, or at least you feel it inside you or some cheesy thing like that.
This tune was penned by Pull D Trigga, winner of the Writer of the Year award at this year’s Gine On People’s Choice Awards, and it was well deserved. There’s a way she has with her writing; this subtle story telling, right? Anyone listening to this song can put themselves in Faith’s shoes with no kinda effort. It’s the little things like that that you really gotta appreciate. The tune is honestly a big vibe and deserves to be played year-round.
2. “Ease” – Grateful Co
This is a BIG TUNE by Grateful Co. I feel like they could’ve called this “Sometime Part 2”. The lyrics are kinda along a similar vibe; Co doesn’t want to be held down by any one girl, he come out to get on bad and wukkup on nuff girls. It doesn’t hurt that the music behind this tune, produced by KY and Green Shanti – hence, the KyShanti Riddim – is pure VIBES. This is the sweetest beat for 2021 for sure, in my opinion. KY and Green Shanti got nuff people beat to be honest, and this song would be number one if it wasn’t for…
1. “Company” – Mikey
Yeah man, this is it. It came out early and it still slaps. Mikey understood the assignment and delivered. This has to be my favorite chorus in a long time with a SWEET melody to boot. The song is a romantic ballad about asking a girl in a fete to wukup for little more than a one song. It’s simplicity combined with the sweet, sweet delivery makes this song really speak to me. Special mention to whoever did the background vocals because they also SHINE throughout the entire song.
That’s it for my list. Things have been rough these couple years. It’s honestly hard to enjoy some of the songs without the fete vibe, but we gonna make the best of this. Hopefully by 2022 we’re gonna have something that resembles a Crop Over season.
