7. Olatunji, Awakening (FoxFuse)
Soca albums are a rare thing, with few artists beyond Machel Montano and Bunji Garlin able to generate sufficient demand – or enough catalog — to warrant them. Add Olatunji Yearwood to that exclusive list. A year after winning the International Groovy Soca Monarch title and effectively launching the Afro Soca wave with “Ola,” the Trinidadian singer released his debut album, Awakening. The 17-track effort collects all of the singer’s releases for Trinidad Carnival over the last few years, including 2016’s “Oh Yay” and “One Life To Live,” his collaboration with Trini EDM outfit System32. — Jesse Serwer