Dancehall artists have been very busy dropping new music ahead of the festive summer season. From Skeng to Skillibeng, Valiant, Dexta Daps, Teejay, Vybz Kartel, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Aidonia, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, and more have all dropped new music and new projects since the start of 2023.
Urban Islandz showcases the best dancehall bangers for your playlist so far this year, 2023. Considering we’re merely halfway through the year, things will only heat up over the summer as several artists in the genre are working on new music. We also saw Tommy Lee Sparta recently dropping his post-prison solo single that went viral, and Valiant continues his dominance following his meteoric rise in the last quarter of last year. Other artists like Skeng continues to dominate the airwaves locally and overseas as the entertainment sector puts the pandemic in the rearview.
Tommy Lee Sparta – Energy
Tommy Lee Sparta brings the energy in his first post-prison solo single fittingly titled “Energy.” The track saw the deejay’s own label Guzu Musiq joining forces with Boss Lady Muzik and Bart The Mastermind on the production side. The Mobay deejay created a frenzy among his fans when news broke of his release from prison after serving time for a gun case. Hence, it was no surprise that everyone came out in his hometown for the music video shoot.
Skeng “Paris”
Skeng left “London” and dropped in “Paris.” If you’ve been following the Spanish Town deejay’s career, then you would know that he released a single titled “London” in April last year, and now his new song is titled “Paris.” Both songs were co-produced by Droptop Records, with 3 King Music Group co-producing the newest single and Ditruth Records assisting with the track from last year.
The music video for “Paris” saw Skeng suited up with his crew in front of the Eiffel Tower, the most famous landmark in the French capital. The deejay also posed with a Ferrari and a Lamborghini Hurucan while flexing his wealth.
“From me likkle me no miss/From me rich me head chip/Millions me a spend pon me neck and all me wrist,” Skeng deejay.
Teejay “Drift”
Although the single was released a few weeks ago, the “Drift” music video made its debut this weekend, further fueling the hype around what is perhaps Teejay’s biggest solo hit this year. The Mobay deejay was recently spotted filming scenes for the video in his hometown, and from the look of things, it appears the set of the Lagikz Supreme-directed cut was lit. The title of the song suggests plenty of sports car, but the song and visual is much more than just that, and Teejay made sure to include the kids in the cut.
In one scene, Teejay stands on top of a small van, and you can clearly notice the sink at the top, but the moment was so lit that no one cares about that. In another scene, BMW M4 do donuts in a parking lot.
Aidonia – Frsh Drop
Aidonia returns to the music scene months after the passing of his son with a new banger, “Frsh Drop.” The dancehall veteran has been going through a lot over the past few years following his young son’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent passing. Returning to music is his therapy to get through those tough times, and the music video for “Frsh Drop” proves just that as the deejay have fun with this track doing what he does best, drop bangers.
Shenseea – Curious
Shenseea dropped her first single since the start of the year “Curious” as she gets ready to release her sophomore album. The project has not yet get a release date and she is keeping the title close to her heart, but assures fans that it is coming. “Curious” initially drew criticism from some of Shenseea’s dancehall fans, but overtime it appears fans warm up to the track, which is slightly different what other anthems like “Lighter,” “Trending Gyal,” and “ShenYeng Anthem.”
Spice – Spice Marley
After coming back from the doors of death, Spice unleashed a powerful new song she appropriately titled “Spice Marley” as she showcases some reggae vibe on the track. The Queen of Dancehall celebrates life and triumph as she burn fire on her haters. The BlingBlang-directed video also saw Spice donning locks and the iconic mesh marina.
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Beenie Man – GOOD BYE
Beenie Man tribute his late mother, Lilieth Sewell, with his new song “Good Bye.” Despite her death being in 2020, Beenie Man is still hurt and decided to channel his pain in his music. The dancehall legend and his mother shared a very close bond.
“Mama I love you, me know no mother shouldn’t bury them son, but when you gone me feel say my life done,” Beenie sings.
Rvssian, Valiant, Tommy Lee Sparta – Tic Tac Toe
Tommy Lee Sparta, Rvssian, and Valiant linkup in “Tic Tac Toe” the first song released by Sparta after leaving prison. Producer/deejay Rvssian is also very active in Jamaica currently voicing a lot of the young acts in the genre through his Head Concussion Records label. The super producer is creating waves overseas producing hits for some of the biggest names in hip hop and reggaeton, but he stays close to home in Jamaica where he is the most comfortable in the studio.