It's hard to believe that Trini Carnival 2020 has come and gone. As the tabanca descends upon us, it's a good thing we have some sweet soca to help us make it to next year. Although the season was not as laden with hits as the two previous years, there was no shortage of favourites for the fêtes, J'Ouvert and the Road. Without further delay, here is our list of the Soca that we liked most for Carnival 2020. We think that this selection will add some happiness to your day.
Some collaborations are so obvious they might seem too easy. Yet, effortless things are often obvious with good reason. Even before we heard this groovy, you did not have to convince us that a song with Voice & Kes would be beautiful. They are both masters of making Soca with uplifting messages, positive vibes and lovely vocals. Dear Promoter is a patriotic ode to the Land of Soca, Fêting and Carnival. From the start to end, you will want to hug up a friend or stranger to dance along.
Patrice or 'Patsy' as we Trinis affectionately call her has long solidified her reign as the Sensual Siren of Soca. Carry On is yet another manifestation of the sultry woman the once bashful singer has become. The sexiness of this song extends from galavanting in your costume on Carnival Tuesday to privately modelling for your man at home.
We think this song was a bit underrated, at least as far as how often we heard it being played. We don't get why. The vocals were sweet, the rhythm was on point, the writing was quality and Kerwin and Adana sound great together. You can never go wrong with Kerwin. As for Adana, she gave us a taste of her skills.
Blaxx is another artiste who consistently comes correct. He deserves way more accolades. This season he had us grooving especially with this ol' timey style. There is so much we love about it: the way Trini lingo is woven throughout the song, the feel good lyrics, his interpretation of the rhythm...We can go on and on.
Fay-Ann and her husband are Soca royalty. So we don't really expect anything less than musical jewels from them. This song is quite simple but it reminds us that their status in the genre is justified. We only wish that they would put out more songs together.
While we're on the subject on Fay-Ann Lyons, she is often at her best when she is invoking her family's Shango Baptist and Grenadian background. It's understandable then that this type of song seems to suit her best. Even if you're afraid of heights, Fay-Ann will have you throwing yourself into a sea of strangers. Among all her other titles, she is the Queen of Crowd Surfing and JabJab music.
We spoke about obvious Soca collabs earlier. This song is the opposite of that. On paper, it doesn't make sense. Haha. The roughness of Iwer with the smoothness of Kes. Nah! However, with each play, we knew it had to win Road March on Carnival Tuesday and it did! There was no stopping (or cheating) Kes & Iwer this year. This song just had too much power.
This was our second favourite for the Road March Title and it was one of the songs that gave us the most vibes for J'Ouvert. Lyrikal started off singing reggae but he is Trini so his prowess at soca is second nature. This song made us want to leh go and get on bad every time we heard it...Exactly how you want to feel when it's time to tap in to those rebellious ancestral spirits on J'Ouvert morning or when you just want to relieve some stress.
Kes never disappoints. This year he had at least four amazing songs and at least two strong contenders for Road March. Pick A Side, which he collaborated with Erphaan Alves on kept our energy up all Carnival Monday and Tuesday. While Kes is a Soca veteran by now, Erphaan Alves is part of the genre's upcoming generation. He has been consistently building his craft and as long as he continues to do so he's sure to be another icon.
Last year this song writing powerhouse made it clear that she is simply one of the best women to ever do it. In glorious fashion, Nadiee returned this year with this body positive anthem that had women feeling their most beautiful. Even if you didn't make it to Carnival 2020, Fatt will have you flaunting your curves in the mirror. Crank up the volume and celebrate your body!
As we mentioned before, Kes continued his reign this year while sharing the shine. This collaboration not only included another of the millennial stars, Jimmy October, it included Trini Jazz maestro Etienne Charles. Even though Magic wasn't played much during Carnival, it's worthy of attention. It's gorgeous and timeless.
This rhythm was built for J'Ouvert and Problem Child is one of the JabJab gods. Although it might be a bit reminiscent of Mr. Killa's song from last year, don't be confused! The dutty vibes on this one is all Vincy. We have added it to our J'Ouvert classics playlist.
Even though we are huge fans of their music (and poetry), Freetown Collective is not really known for Soca. This year though, they catapulted themselves into the arena with a song that many agree is one of the most beautiful the genre has offered to the world. Being well acquainted with Freetown's prior work, we were not surprised. Feel The Love shatters the myth that Soca is not about substance or can not be universal or transcend the Carnival season. We are eager to see how far the song spreads globally.
Well, that's it for our 2020 Soca Round-up. Be sure to click each song name to enjoy. What songs do you like this year?
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