Grammy winning dancehall artist Shaggy Declares End Of An Era, says old school dancehall is over and it’s a new day for the genre as he acknowledges and embraces the new sound coming out of Jamaica.
“I think dancehall is in an incredibly great space right now,” Shaggy begins, in a video posted on Instagram. “I think we started the year with a bang, I think last year was an amazing year for dancehall because we had ‘Drift,’ which I was happy to be a part of. So I think that Dancehall is slowly moving it.”
Shaggy acknowledges that this evolution brings with it a departure from the traditional sounds of dancehall in the 90s and early 2000s that once dominated the airwaves, an era where he flourished most as an artist.
“But it’s a new sound,” Shaggy explains, alluding to the shifting landscape of dancehall music. “One thing we gotta understand [is] the old sound of dancehall that we know, the old style of dancehall that we know, that was very successful by the way, did its thing, the highest point in Dancehall was that sound. It’s over, that sound is no more, I don’t think people are going to make records like that.”
“I think there is a new sound of Dancehall that you are hearing,” Shaggy continues, hinting at the emergence of a distinct musical identity within the genre. “That is the kind of trap type sound that they’re making, and they’re going to find a way to make it become more successful to where it starts to chart and start to do well. It’s a new day.”
Shaggy’s latest sentiments are a divergence from a previous interview on The Breakfast Club, where he expressed concerns over the current state of dancehall in June 2021, stating that contemporary artists are attempting to fix something that wasn’t broken by favoring trap beats over traditional dancehall rhythms. “If you ask the average DJ, on a global scale, what kind of Dancehall will move a party, they’re gonna tell you it’s 90s Dancehall, and the difference between current dancehall and 90s dancehall is the beat,” he said. “So we’ve actually tried to fix something that wasn’t broken.”
What a question by @cthagod and what an answer by @DiRealShaggy
“The evolution of dancehall” pic.twitter.com/NlcUC9HH4f
— JR (@jrwatkis) June 22, 2021
He emphasized the global appeal of 90s dancehall and its influence on successful genres like reggaetón and afrobeat. Shaggy encouraged young artists at the time to understand the marketplace and strive for global stardom, drawing from his own experiences collaborating with Sting.
He had stressed the need for Jamaican artists to recognize the potential for greater success beyond local fame. Spice, who was also present in the interview, echoed Shaggy’s sentiments, highlighting the importance of understanding the global music landscape and the limitations of focusing solely on local achievements.
Spice’s “Guh Down Deh” has sold more than 600,000 units in the U.S. according to Luminate and is certified Platinum in Canada.
The sub-genre Trap dancehall has dominated Jamaican radio airwaves and streaming platforms in the island for the last 5 years with dancehall acts such as Skillibeng, Byron Messia, Skeng and Valiant scoring record deals and top streaming songs locally and internationally. So far Messia and Skillibeng are the only two to hit the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 99 with Talibans Remix featuring Burna Boy and No. 100 with Crocodile Teeth Remix featuring Nicki Minaj. Crocodile Teeth and Talibans are both certified Silver in the U.K. for selling 200,000 units each.
A glance at the Apple Music Chart Jamaica will find that more than 50% of the songs being streamed daily in the island are Trap Dancehall with newcomer RajahWild having 7 of the top 20 songs this week.
Apple Music Jamaica Top 20 Songs pic.twitter.com/uo5zgtA1Ib
— WMV (@worldmusicviews) April 3, 2024
Julia Lavender, Spotify’s communications manager, notes a surge in local music consumption since the platform’s launch in the Island in 2021. Despite international artists Drake making a dent in the local market, by being the top streaming act on Spotify Jamaica, local talents, including Alkaline, Vybz Kartel, Masicka, and Skillibeng, dominates Spotify’s playlists.
Newcomers like Skeng gain significant traction in 2022, with songs like “Gvnman Shift” making waves locally and globally. That song was Jamaica YouTube’s most streamed song for two years until it was dethroned by Chronic Law’s “Empty” last year. Interscope artist Shenseea emerges as the leading female artist from Jamaica, representing Spotify’s Dancehall Queen playlist and surpassing 500 millions streams across her catalog.
Ireland Boss and Malie Donn’s V6 was the top streaming song in Jamaica last year, and over 300,000 dancehall related playlists are made each year, themed around “dancehall,” “vibe,” “love,” and “gospel.”
