4. Vybz Kartel feat. Shenseea, “Loodi”

Photo by Martei Korley

Technically, “Loodi” dropped at the tail end of 2016, but we couldn’t possibly capture the year in dancehall without what was easily one of the most played bashment anthems over the last 12 months. The release of “Loodi” a year ago announced the arrival of a major new talent in Shenseea, and she’s added to the hype with a bagga hits since that time, including two more potent combination tracks in “Bridgets and Desert” and “Rolling” with Tommy Lee Sparta and Sean Paul, respectively. But this hook-up with the World Boss, an addictive analogy between the seductive powers of a female posterior and Jamaica’s favorite board game, is still her crowning achievement. From the moment we heard Shenseea chirp Mi dweeeeet fi spiiite, we knew we had a new star on our hands.  — Jesse Serwer