A new year means ample opportunity for new riddims to take over the globe.
After a pair of New York-set Huarrican Melissa relief benefit concerts closed out a year soundtracked by crossover hits like Full Blown & Yung Bredda’s “The Greatest Bend Over” and Silent Addy & Moliy’s “Shake It to the Max,” some of the biggest stars in Caribbean music have hit the ground running in 2026.
Just over a week into the New Year, Trinbagonian soca superstar Kes delivered a pair of knockout headlining performances at the Unity Jazz Festival. Gracing NYC’s esteemed Jazz at Lincoln Center (Jan. 8-9), the consummate performer bridged his biggest hits with swing jazz, bringing out award-winning trumpeter (and fellow Trini!) Etienne Charles as a special guest.
Two weeks later, Jamaican dancehall star Chronic Law stormed the headlines with the news of his alleged detainment by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to Complex, Chronic (born Ackeme Campbell) was listed “in ICE custody” without any additional information immediately available (Jan. 15). When Billboard reached out to his team, they declined to comment. For what it’s worth, Chronic has fans speculating that he is safe and free, thanks to a Jan. 17 Instagram post captioned, “Psalm 109 #Godblessyouth #strongerthenever” — his first activity on the platform since Jan. 12.
As island nations across the Caribbean prepare for Carnival season, a plethora of tracks seeking to dominate the year have hit streaming, including standout selections across soca, reggae, dancehall and more. This month’s column will cover releases from December 2025 and January 2026 to account for all the sweet melodies that arrived during the holidays. Some of those major releases include Intence’s long-awaited debut album VOYAGE (the Tarrus Riley-assisted “Poverty” is a standout), Jada Kingdom‘s Just a Girl in a Money Man’s World and Masicka’s Her Name Is Love EP.
Naturally, Billboard’s monthly Caribbean Fresh Picks column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs. So, without any further ado:
