The holidays may be right around the corner, but it’s war season in the world of dancehall.
As 2025 comes to a close, dancehall stars Masicka — who exclusively announced his new Her Name Is Love EP via Billboard on Monday (Dec. 1) — and Tommy Lee Sparta have kicked off the culture’s latest clash. Seemingly stemming from Masicka proclaiming himself as the “greatest of all time” at this year’s Reggae Sumfest, where Vybz Kartel was officially crowned King of Dancehall, the clash finds each artist taking jabs at the other’s career. On “Control” (released on Monday), Tommy Lee — a longtime Kartel associate — advised Masicka not to “size up wid di Gaza don”; by Tuesday morning, Masicka replied with “Vain,” doubling down on his Sumfest declarations with lines like “mi say mi a di GOAT a who fi vex.”
Between Masicka accusing Tommy Lee of hijacking Kartel’s post-incarceration momentum and the latter Lee jeering at the former’s alleged lack of street cred, the two deejays are clearly just getting started. Case in point: Masicka dropped “Tears” on Tuesday, and Tommy Lee responded on Wednesday with “Destroyer.”
On the flipside, a more pop-leaning dancehall song returned to the headlines last month. Two weeks ago (Nov. 19), Billboard reported that Moliy, Silent Addy, Disco Neil, Shenseea and Skillibeng’s “Shake It to the Max” was deemed ineligible to compete in best global music performance at the 2026 Grammys because the song was submitted with the word “remix” in its title. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Shawn Thwaites, a former genre manager in the Recording Academy’s awards department, took to social media to share that he had been terminated 48 hours after Billboard published his article — and that he would be “seeking the proper legal support.”
The world also spent November grieving the loss of Grammy-winning reggae icon Jimmy Cliff, who passed on Nov. 24 due to “a seizure followed by pneumonia,” according to his wife, Latifah Chambers. Check out the Billboard staff’s list of Cliff’s ten best songs here.
Naturally, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall 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:
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Freshest Find: Popcaan, “Carrying It Home”
About a year after celebrating the 10th anniversary of his landmark Where We Come From LP, Popcaan has returned with his latest album, Nothing Without God. Completed and scheduled for release before Hurricane Melissa, the dancehall superstar’s new record only finds a deeper meaning in its new circumstances. Of the set’s 14 new songs, “Carrying It Home” is arguably its most resonant offering. For the decades of culture-shifting media that Jamaica has exported to the rest of the world, global responses to Jamrock’s times of need can often feel muted. Popcaan smartly plays on that dynamic by centering his home country in the hook of “Carrying It Home,” declaring, “Carryin’ it home fi go feed mi baby/ Some people mussi feel Jamaica easy/ Carryin’ it home fi go feed mi baby/ Mi full a ambition, mi don’t do lazy” over Dre Skull’s militant riddim.
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Machel Montano, Tempa & Travis World, “Tempa Wine”
Capping off a banner year that included a historic NPR Tiny Desk set and a new album (One Degree Hotter), King of Soca Machel Montano has unveiled an early contender for the 2026 carnival season. Produced by Travis World, the new collaboration finds Trini star Tempa lifting the hook of Machel and Patrice Roberts’ 2008 “Tempa Wine” for an infectious, zess-infused banger. With heavier percussion than the original, the 2025 version of “Tempa Wine” is tailor-made for peak hours pon di road.
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Kes & Benjai, “Carnival Friend”
Never one to be outdone, Kes teamed up with Trini soca star Benjai for another winning take on the “Blue Phone” riddim. Featuring additional vocal production from Tano and David Sheppard, “Carnival Friend” finds Kes and Benjai reveling in the unlikely — and sometimes fleeting — friendships and connections that can form during carnival season. A joyous soca banger that only gets better with each repetition of Kes’ “ah where she come from dey” refrain, “Carnival Friend” could very well follow in the successful footsteps of 2024’s “Cocoa Tea.”
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Shatta Wale, “Who Send You”
Although “Who Send You” lands as a diss track amid his apparent row with social media personality Highest Eri, Afro-dancehall star Shatta Wale’s new track is a winner regardless of its context. “You dey advertise yourself cos you know dey get d—k, bomb/ If you diss my fans, I go do you better and diss your mom,” he spits over the sparse, trap-dancehall riddim, courtesy of Nawtyboi. Shatta’s sneering tone is enough to lift bars that could pass as somewhat friendly jabs into searing burns, proving why he’s the baddest deejay in the African dancehall scene.
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Vybz Kartel, “Guapi”
After bridging dancehall and fashion with “Clarks” a decade ago, Vybz Kartel is looking to strike gold twice with “Guapi.” Worl’ Boss’ new Greedy Lion-produced joint previews his upcoming collaboration with Guapi, the buzzy luxury streetwear brand that recently joined forces with NBA YoungBoy. “Guapi shoes pon mi jean, das right/ Guapi everyting, so dey treat dem right/ Yah girlfriend a seh mi sneakas nice,” he rhymes in the first verse before launching into one of his most disarmingly catchy hooks of the year. Fresh off his second career Grammy nomination, the Kartel train isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
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Cholita & Skillibeng, “Without You”
Rising Kingston-raised singer Cholita scored a breakthrough moment with September’s “Next Time,” and she’s building on that momentum with her new Skillibeng-assisted “Without You.” A lush, moody alternative R&B-leaning track that echoes with the skeleton of percussive dancehall production, “Without You” finds Cholita and Skilli waxing poetic about where they would be without each other — and ultimately deciding that togetherness is their most important destination. “I just want you close to me/ Stay here, keep my company/ Don’t you fight it, this is fate/ ‘Cause you are here to finally end my lonely days,” she softly coos over Dre Skull’s slinky production.
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Problem Child, “Find Yuh”
Problem Child just might have the best track on KesKeyz’s “Blue Phone” riddim. “Find Yuh” is an upbeat soca anthem punctuated by brassy synths and a sweet, melodic hook that flaunts the Vincy Bad Boy’s vocal chops. “And girl, if I push up on it/ Would you wine back on it?” he cheekily asks, giving listeners a built-in instruction manual for how to behave once this song drops in the fete.
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Armanii, “Champion”
Opening with the sounds of crackling thunder and drizzling rain, “Champion,” Armanii’s latest single, immediately drops listeners into a precarious, yet resilient, post-Hurricane Melissa Jamaica. “Tell dem we a champion/ None a dem never believe how dem a seh dem know me/ Yuh come round when we inna di lead but yuh nuh know the story,” he declares in the chorus, praising the strength and perseverance of his home and his people, especially in the face of devastating disasters. “Champion” is set to appear on Armanii’s forthcoming debut studio album, The Impact, which drops Dec. 12 via UnitedMasters.
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Shaggy & Busy Signal, “Feel the Energy”
Just weeks after helping their home country rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, Jamaican music icons Shaggy and Busy Signal have teamed up for a dancefloor-ready new single titled “Feel the Energy.” Produced by Costi Fortza, the track finds the two stars trading crowd-rallying verses across a pounding bassline and dynamic drums. “Something is happening feel di energy/ Illuminate di place mek dem see/ Dancehall ting, we keep di legacy/ One for di culture, mi got di remedy,” Busy proclaims in his verse, reminding us of both his and Shaggy’s impressive longevity.
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King Cruff, “6 Milly”
King Cruff is back with another infectious single that blends Afropop rhythms with Toronto’s grimy dancehall. “Look where we come from/ Six milli ways, choose one/ ‘Cause there’s too many ways to love you/ There’s too many ways to love you,” he croons over the groovy beat, co-produced by Alan Aguero, Prettyboyron and TheBoyKam. With the spontaneity of fate offering a darker lyrical undertone, “6 Milly” builds nicely on June’s “Bunch,” thus setting a stage for a promising 2026 for King Cruff.
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