Dancehall concerts are filling arenas across North America and the U.K., with artists like Vybz Kartel, Buju Banton, and Shenseea drawing record-breaking crowds. The energy rivals the genre’s golden era of the early 2000s, when Shaggy and Sean Paul topped the Billboard charts. But the question remains: where are all these new fans coming from?
In an exclusive interview with World Music Views, dancehall veteran Bounty Killer who had his own sold-out show at the Barclays Center earlier this month, offered a grounded perspective, tracing the genre’s resurgence not only to its stars but to a new era of exposure, accessibility, and global reach.
“It’s a new generation of dancehall fans,” he said. “Those are the ones that the Kartel bring in, the youngers one, the Marshall, the Bling Dawg, the Busy (Signal), Aidonia, they are the ones, the 25-year-olds now—Gen Z—they’re different from the original Biltmore fans from the ‘90s.”
Killer credited not just artists but the evolution of the industry itself. “Back in the day, we only had a few people pushing dancehall in the commercial space—David Levy, Gil Bailey, Red Alert and Bobby Konders trying to plug the dancehall in the commercial space and the hip-hop radio. But now? everybody is playing dancehall and Caribbean music one all the programs.”
Social media and streaming, he said, have made the genre more accessible than ever. “We never had that luxury in our era. Now, the internet gives everybody access to the music. TikTok, Instagram—these platforms are introducing dancehall to kids all over the world.”
He also noted the role of trap-influenced dancehall, which has brought in new fans with familiar sounds. “They catch onto it fast, but they don’t hold onto it for long.” Still, he says it plays a role.
Importantly, Bounty pointed out a shift in lyrical approach. “Back in our days, we weren’t trying to say things that would be universal or global. We were just telling the story of what was happening on the corner. Now, artists are trying to use more relatable and universal words. That has alot to do with it as well.”
