Six Soca Songs that Made Summer 2018 Sweet

This music, by design, is created to generate good vibes. Great energy, radiant sunshine, and positive sensations go hand in hand with soca music in the summer time...or in summer-like climates, year round. Every new season of this island music comes with a different feeling, and can be ultimately judged overall by the body of songs and performances once the Caribbean carnival calendar is complete.

There are a few keys years in soca that stand out in my memory: for example, I distinctly remember the 2011/2012 season being one of them. The Antilles Riddim STILL sounds brand new to me, it's that powerful. Kerwin's "Bacchanalist" and Machel's "Vibes Cyan Done" are classics in my memory.

Since then, some eras were lukewarm, and others were pretty hot. In my humble opinion, 2018 has been fire. Big up the artists, the producers, and the DJs for circulating these upful vibes all year long. This year's soca has integrated marvellously with the big Afrobeats and Dancehall tunes as well, which has made it extra special.

As this year's carnival season winds down, I look forward to hearing what's coming up for 2019, but want to take a quick look back at a few of the songs from this particular soca season that continue to move me, and will frame the soundtrack of Summer 18's experiences:

(1) TAKE OVER - Kerwin DuBois
This one takes the top spot; the riddim, the groove, the video, everything. Big up Kerwin for consistently delivering hits that speak to me!



(2) SPLINTERS -Shal Marshall
Shal hit me hard with this track: everything about it is heavy.



(3) THE YEAR FOR LOVE - Voice
Voice is a true songwriter, and has an amazing ability to capture feeling, message, and inspiration along with a sweet groove. Every time. This song deserves all of the accolades it received.



(4) I SHALL RETURN - Kes
Fire. This song feels like excitement, and is classic Kes excellence.



(5) NO WEAPON - LFS Music
The lyrics and empowerment in this song is what caught me, plus it's extremely vibsey.



(6) CRIMINAL WINE - Patrice Roberts and Lyrikal
The video captured me, because Patrice and Lyrikal together is nothing but sexiness! This song is wonderful!



HONOURABLE MENTION: SHOWTIME by Machel Montano
OK, so there are more than six. There are more than ten. There are plenty...I digress. This entire "Pim Pim Riddim" is dangerous.



Clearly, this list only represents a portion of the songs that spoke to me personally, but the season overall was fabulous and I know that the memories it inspired will be equally vibrant when accompanied by the sounds.

Truly looking forward to the next season of soca songs, embracing the legends of the genre, and seeing if anyone new pops up on the scene. It is this anticipation that frames the entire soca-listening experience: it's ever-exciting.




Written by Stacey Marie Robinson for Kya Publishing's "Urban Toronto Tales" blog.