+4. Samantha J – “Tight Skirt”
Calling Samantha J‘s “Tight Skirt” dancehall might actually do it a disservice: the 17-year-old Ocho Rios native’s debut single is definitely a pop song that speaks to listeners too young or removed from Jamaica to even know what dancehall is. But the Washroom Entertainment-produced track is certainly bashment ready, sampling and borrowing its theme from the great Red Rat, while musically evoking King Tubby’s Tempo riddim. The video was also smartly done, updating Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” and bringing it to yaad, complete with current dancehall choreography like the aforementioned One Drop. This is a track communicating on two, very different wavelengths. Oh, and this girl can really sing, as our acoustic video shot at NYC’s Vanity Projects clearly illustrates. Watch it below. —Jesse Serwer