2. Freezy, “Split in Di Middle”

The previously-unknown Freezy broke the soca mold this year with “Split In Di Middle,” a nearly two-year old track from St. Lucia that became the most requested/played/demanded song at Carnivals across the Caribbean this year. Propelled by Instagram videos of women doing the task named in the song’s title, “Split In Di Middle” took St. Lucia’s so-called Dennery Segment international, popularizing Soca Kuduro, a fusion of soca, Angolan kuduro music, Kreyol dialect, and rude bashment vibes. Regardless of its release date, this was the song that best summed up the energy of soca 2017. — Jesse Serwer