If one thing is true about dancehall, it’s that it is fluid, and the rules and boundaries are always shifting. The original rub-a-dub recordings voiced by pioneer deejays like Early B and Yellowman share only a passing resemblance to the melodic tracks we typically hear these days from Popcaan or Alkaline.
In the days before Major Lazer, Afro Bashment and “Shape of You,” defining a “dancehall single” was much more simple. Songs had to be from Jamaica or authentically originate within the culture in some fashion, and feature the dance-inducing rhythmic patterns we know and recognize as dancehall. However, as pop has incorporated aspects of dancehall in recent years, and dancehall has absorbed influences from all directions, the lines continue to blur. Does a Major Lazer or Gorillaz track that features Vybz Kartel or Popcaan but only a limited musical relationship to textbook dancehall* constitute a dancehall track? What about a tune with a dancehall-inspired rhythm from Drake or Ed Sheeran? How does whether or not dancehall selectors embraced these latter types of tracks by playing them at street dances factor into this determination?
Part of our role in compiling a list such as this one is to be arbiters of this increasingly nebulous environment, and decide what belongs, and what doesn’t, so that the music that truly embodies the culture can get its due.** However, any determination by us is simply our determination, strictly for the purposes of entertaining you with this list, and in no way meant to be interpreted as an official ruling on what is, and isn’t, dancehall. Seen?
So, how do we go about choosing the selections and order of this list, you might ask? We start by asking our trusted contributors — selectors, freelance journalists, dancers — to send their list of top picks. Votes are tallied, and additional “points” are added by our editorial team for sheer originality and quality, rewarding songs that stand to have a lasting impact on the genre beyond mere street popularity or chart success. Tracks released the year prior are generally omitted; However, in the case of tracks whose impact was felt primarily in the current year (and thus were not included on last year’s list), exceptions are sometimes made.
The end result is not perfect, or structured through any exact science, but after eight years of this, we can say, with confidence: These were the most essential dancehall singles of 2017. Soca, reggae, best albums lists soon come!
—LargeUp
*While this definition varies from person to person and by generation, let’s use late ‘90s riddims like Showtime and Bookshelf as our standard here, shall we?
**This is essential. Even as pop continues to flirt with dancehall rhythms and sensibilities, mainstream airplay and pop-chart success eludes Jamaican dancehall’s top artists — a contrast to earlier moments when dancehall sounds crossed over, bringing core tracks by artists like Mad Cobra, Beenie Man and Elephant Man widespread exposure.
Never has infidelity sounded as good as on this Kranium, Ty Dolla $ign and Wizkid linkup. On paper, “Can’t Believe” already promised something special, and the international trio didn’t fail to deliver. Produced by Jamaica’s ZJ Liquid (with a sample of the timeless Santa Barbara riddim by Sly & Robbie) this song’s infectious bass and catchy lyrics cemented it as one of the year’s must-play dancehall tracks, while reflecting the continuing trend towards genre hybrids that blur the lines between dancehall and other genres, in this case, R&B and Afrobeats. — Jamie Rodigan
Sean Paul linked up with Shenseea for his newest single, “Rolling,” which was recently given a video treatment by RD Studios. The up-and-coming starlet known for her wicked features and the veteran hitmaker created a banger with producer Romeich (featuring the sound of a recorder, an instrument you don’t hear too often in dancehall) that was a perfect wrap-up for 2017, sure to set the stage for more good things in 2018. — Sharine Taylor
2017 was Spice’s year. Though she didn’t drop any major projects, she was dubbed the “Fashion Forward Queen of Dancehall” by Vogue, popped up on Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta and in Busta Rhymes’ ‘Girlfriend’ video and teased a collaboration with Missy Elliott. Not only that but her biggest 2017 single “Sheet” inspired the viral #SheetChallenge and a memorable, Xtreme Arts-directed, Instagram Live-inspired music video. As the “Queen of Stage” hit the road on tour this year, it was one of the most anticipated records during her set, with dancers choosing men from the audience who could handle the challenge. — Sharine Taylor
This year, we heard pop stars and rappers (Ed Sheeran, Calvin Harris, Ty Dolla $ign, Chris Brown and French Montana, to name a few) call upon the fusion of EDM, Caribbean and Afrobeat rhythms again and again. While sometimes mistakenly cited as tropical house, this infectious sound has its roots in the work of Caribbean producers, like KickRaux, the Jamaican DJ behind “Wine To Di Top.” It felt super appropriate for the World Boss and dancehall trailblazer Vybz Kartel to team up with Nigeria’s Wizkid on this track, one of several tracks on the World Fete riddim. “Wine To Di Top” shows how universal Caribbean sounds can be, while both artists stay true to their unique styles and wordplay. KickRaux has a knack for fusing and blurring lines between genres; in this case, here’s a big tune that can be played in a bashment or fete, and still has the wider appeal of a pop record. — GabSoul
I got hooked on Popcaan’s music with his irresistible early run of rowdy party anthems, and in recent years have often hoped for more in that vein. But his slow, seductive love/sex songs have always been a strong point too; “Addicted” is a stellar example of the latter. The singalong this got at Poppy’s debut London show in July was insane! — Gabriel Heatwave
2017 was another strong year for the Vendetta Boss, Alkaline. The self-proclaimed Man Himself unleashed a string of hits throughout the year, but “Pretty Girl Team” was the standout, and a staple in the dancehall. The video featuring social media sensation @Fatboy_sse and a bevy of multicultural beauties certainly helped get the word out. — Juss Kool
Vybz Kartel and RVSSIAN are the most undeniable artist/producer combo of dancehall’s modern era. It’s a lock that, when this pair link up, airhorns will sound and forwards will forward. RVSSIAN, who got his start a decade ago producing peak Kartel like “Go Go Club” and “Straight Jeans and Fitted,” has made a lucrative move into Latin music recently, producing massive global hits for reggaeton king Farruko and the lord of Trap Latino, Bad Bunny. Back in the dancehall, the Jamaican producer issued a pair of tunes this year with his old cohort Kartel, and both were, predictably, straight 🔥🔥🔥. “Highest Level,” a one-off that was arguably the year’s most slept-on Kartel banger, came first, followed by “Kremlin,” the lead single on the Moscow riddim, a sinister, Scarface soundtrack-inspired instrumental from RVSSIAN that also featured badness from Tarrus Riley and Shawn Storm. It’s a toss-up which is better, so here’s two tunes for the price of one… — Jesse Serwer
Bounty Killer reminds us why he’s called the Poor People’s Governor on this standout cut from Suku Ward 21’s Law Riddim. He doesn’t hold back his opinions, tackling many of the biggest social issues facing Jamaica today, his vigour and in-your-face delivery providing a superb contrast to the stripped-down bass driven production. We first heard the Law Riddim when another attention-grabbing track in Agent Sasco’s “Our Law” dropped in the summer. A full release of the riddim followed in December with a total of 19 artists, a rarity these days. — Gibbo
2017 was undoubtedly a hot year for Ding Dong and his Ravers Clavers crew, as they continued their mission to bring dancing back into the forefront of dancehall. When traversing the streets of Kingston, one could always hear a song of his on the airwaves. Fueled by the popularity of its namesake dance, “Fling Yuh Shoulda” was particularly popular among the youngsters, and blew up social media with a slew of viral videos. Even Prime Minister Andrew Holness got in on the action. The Fling Yuh Shoulda dance also made its way onto Chronixx’s Chronology Tour, as he stopped to buss the move when performing “Likes” and issued an official dance video featuring Ravers Clavers. Honorable mention goes to Ding Dong for “Dweet” (more commonly known as “Genna Bounce”) off the Genna Bounce riddim, which has spawned its own share of viral videos, and the newly released, Afrobeats-inspired “Lebeh Lebeh.” — Kadene Pitter
Ishawna released the most polarizing dancehall track (and arguably video) of 2017 in “Equal Rights.” Borrowing the dancehall-inspired rhythm from Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” (the year’s most streamed song) and a song title from Peter Tosh, the Seaview Gardens native used the record to express her thoughts about cunnilingus and bedroom reciprocity, sparking heavy contention from some dancehall fans and artists like Bounty Killer. Haters notwithstanding, it proved to be the former Downsound recording artist’s biggest hit yet. — Sharine Taylor
What a year for Aidonia! Consistent hits after hits that have connected not only with Jamaican audiences, but the global market. He unleashed the badman anthem “Banga” on the 2Face Riddim at the start of 2017, and it’s been an instant forward in any dance this year. With more songs like “Hot Tool” in his arsenal, 2018 looks even more promising for the JOP Boss. — Jamie Rodigan
RDX singles sometimes slip under the radar in the dancehall conversation, but the duo’s anthems are designed for dancefloors first and foremost. Songs like “Bend Over,” “Jump,” “Kotch,” “Broad Out” and “Bang” have consistently lit up parties over the years. “Shake Your Bam Bam” was released early summer, right on time for festival sets! The Sister Nancy interpolation, Toots/Pliers interpolations and simple dancing instructions made this one an instant hit. — Gabriel Heatwave
“Infrared” brought together one of the baddest new hardcore artists on the scene, in Masicka, with the long-standing champion of this category, Vybz Kartel. When you have the World Boss in combination with a budding artist with great potential, it’s almost a given that song will go far. “Infrared” goes down as one of the baddest songs of 2017 for a number of reasons but, most notably, because it became an anthem for friends from all over. When this drops in the dancehall, it’s a time to salute to your your bish, your dawg — whatever you call your true friends — and signifies a desire to protect one another and level up together, as in lyrics like, “My dawgs dem haffi live” and “Streets haffi honor we/Dogs dem a mi family.” — Kadene Pitter
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
Aidonia‘s “Yeah Yeah,” on Emudio Records’ Genna Bounce riddim, was probably the most infectious dancehall song of the year, whipping listeners into a frenzy from Kingston to Atlantic City. In fact, the song proved so captivating to local audiences in JA that there was talk of banning it after this video of a bus conductor recklessly dancing to the song surfaced on social media. Apparently, listeners just could not control themselves, they had to dance when “Yeah Yeah” came on. Now if that isn’t a sign that your music is doing well, we don’t know what is. Aidonia later showed the conductor some love, bringing him out on stage during one of his performances. All in all, 2017 was big for ‘Donia, who connected with hits after hits. — Kadene Pitter
Mhm Hm!! Vybz Kartel’s reign over dancehall seems to have no end in sight and, in a year full of pugnacious musical competition, the World Boss once again reigned supreme. “Mhm Hm” sent dancers into a frenzy, the #Gazanation into jubilation and men worldwide into the market to get their oats, Supligen, nuts and nutmeg. We can’t confirm it, but the lyric “Get a gyal and go get yuh children” is also rumored to be a subliminal diss towards a fellow DJ who has yet to become a father. “Mhm Hm” has been a fireball since its release in September, and is currently getting the biggest forwards of the night in any dancehall, and, as any Kartel fan knows, dancehall cyan stall. MHM HM!! — Juss Kool
Reggae’s top young artist showed his versatility with “Likes,” letting us know that he can bring the dancehall flavor as well. And Chronixx did it effortlessly, offering a conscious twist to the genre with a message about social media hype and modern fame that resonated across the generations. Moreso, “Likes” was about showing love for the culture, ending with an homage to dancehall icons like King Jammy’s, Lady Saw and Dave Kelly. In true dancehall fashion, “Likes” even adopted its own official dance, Fling Yuh Shoulda (which was created by Kool Ravers and popularized by Ding Dong, in his song by the same name). After he was seen dropping moves in the song’s original video and shoulder flinging on stage during the Chronology tour with percussionist Hector “Roots” Lewis, Chronixx dropped an official dance video for “Likes,” with the Ravers Clavers crew demonstrating the Fling Yuh Shoulda and other popular steps. Fittingly. given its content, “Likes” also went viral on social media. Its message captivated high schoolers across the Caribbean, who remixed it and made it their own, like these students of Jamaica College during their high school graduation. A massive 2017 ends with a bang for Chronixx, with a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album, and the top spot on our countdown. — Kadene Pitter
Here’s where we shout out the songs our list couldn’t fit, but we had to tell you about anyway.
One of the toughest songs we heard all year was this remix of a track off Gorillaz’s Humanz album, of all places. The original “Saturn Barz” was something of a snooze, burying an inspired chorus from Popcaan within a sludgy beat and Damon Albarn’s muffled vocals. Producer Cadenza (aka David Rodigan’s son, Oliver) reimagined the song as a bass-heavy dancehall banger featuring guest verses from Assassin, Mad Cobra, Grime MC Killa P and Louie “Ox” Rankin, appearing as his Shottas alter ego “Teddy Bruckshot.” The result was as hard and grimy as you’d imagine a track with those artists to be. — Jesse Serwer
When you’re Vybz Kartel, you drop a song like “All Aboard” late in the year that gets all of dancehall hype right now, but there’s no room for it in the Toppa Top 17 Dancehall Singles list because you already got like half the list locked down. — Desmond Alphonso
One the hottest tunes this year in any genre was undoubtedly “Come Closer” by Wizkid featuring Drake. Its super-catchy chorus, easy lyrics and a melodic rhythm situated halfway between dancehall, Afrobeats and pop made for one of those tracks that you can’t help nodding and singing along to. It also inspired its share of unofficial remixes. In April, a song surfaced online credited to Drake and the Unruly Boss, Popcaan, with the title, “My Chargie.” Though it is evident that Drake and Popcaan did not actually record the song together — the song features Drake’s vocals from “Come Closer’ and a seemingly original verse from Popcaan — fans nonetheless proclaimed it a hit. It might just be a doctored track but regardless, it certainly came out a banger! — Keva Evans
It’s been over a decade since The Alliance ended their, uh, alliance in dramatic fashion, leaving the slate wide open for a dancehall supergroup. Recently, one former member, Mavado, extended a hand to the younger generation in the form of Alkaline and Jahmiel, creating the unit MVP. On their first collaboration, “Badness,” produced by Chimney Records, Mavado and Jahmiel showed an easy chemistry, delivering a track that truly lived up to its name. — Desmond Alphonso
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