What makes a hit? Is it the lyrics, the artiste, the hype at the time? Is it “something special” about the voice or rhythm?

The TEENage Hitlist pinpoints the hits and the misses as soon as we hear both local and international releases.

Local Hit Of The Week – Certified Diva by Tami Chynn & Tifa

Washroom Entertainment has become a powerhouse in Jamaica’s musical hybrid of dancehall and pop. Washroom Entertainment has showcased this hybrid with releases such as Voicemail’s Dance the Night Away, Alaine’s Dancing You Out Of My Life and next on the list is Certified Diva by Tami Chynn & Tifa.

Certified Diva’s production has some dancehall elements to it, especially in the drumming, but more so utilises heavy electro-pop synthesisers that have gained resurgence in the music charts globally due to popular singles by in-demand international producer REDone (Tami Chynn’s Frozen, Sean Kingston’s Fire Burning, Lady GaGa’s Just Dance, Poker Face, Bad Romance and more).

Certified Diva, as the title suggests, is a song of female empowerment, independence and self-confidence and as Tifa states it’s a “hot girl Anthem”.

Tami Chynn and Tifa mesh well in this collaboration. Tami Chynn’s voice is altered with a robotic effect that isn’t overdone and delivers a catchy bridge. The verses led by Tifa comprise of hilarious lyrics.

TEENage Hitlist believes that Certified Diva will be a hit, especially within dancehall’s female demographic.

International Hit of The Week – Eenie Meenie by Justin Bieber & Sean Kingston

Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber are currently the two most popular male teenage artistes born in the 1990s. Songs by singers of this age group are usually about a girl they are pursuing, how much they’re in love with a girl or heartbreak caused by a girl, and Eenie Meenie is no different.

Benny Blanco, the producer behind the boards for Britney Spears’ Circus, Ke$ha’s Tik Tok and other upbeat pop anthems this year, provides a more subtle but still danceable number for this duo.

Both Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber in each of their respective verses complain that the girl they’re pursuing is an “eenie meenie mienie mo lover”; a namesake of the children’s game outlining one’s many choices.

Vocally, both artistes are on point and even though their voices are slightly

auto-tuned-enhanced, it is done with good taste.

TEENage Hitlist must commend Sean Kingston on his inevitable summer smash with the teenage Star of the Moment Justin Bieber.