1. Shaggy + Beres Hammond – “Fight This Feeling”
Reggae and dancehall trends can change quick—new slang, new styles of production, rhythmic cadences and various instrumentation variables are a constant. But certain riddims are always ready to be brought back: Sly & Robbie’s Taxi Riddim, Bangarang (Murder She Wrote) and plenty more are always getting re-voiced, sampled and reinterpreted.
Beres and Shaggy deliver flawlessly over this D Brown version with a delicate balance of authenticity and a dose of pop appeal, while exemplifying the distinct, classic styles that have kept each still relevant to listeners of all ages. In a year where young artists made things like reggae, musicianship and culture lyrics the biggest they’ve been in almost a decade, it’s equally refreshing to see the veterans keeping the bar as high as ever, making music that feels instantly classic. Surely that’s a feeling you can’t easily fight. —DJ Gravy