Every year, artistes land trending songs which are often popularised through events, but 2020 presented a challenge as artistes had to cater to music and party enthusiasts even in the absence of parties because of the pandemic. Several artistes hit the nail on the head with tunes that not only hit trending statuses, but tunes that still stand out as the end of the year approaches.

Here are the top trending Jamaican songs of 2020.

HAMANTS

Convo Pt. 2, Govana

By mid-January, Govana had the number one trending video in Jamaica courtesy of HAMANTS Convo. The song aced his knack for storytelling, and the visuals offered a timely message about putting an end to domestic murders in light of Jamaica’s battle with such cases in recent years.

Double Tap, Queenie

Cheers to that person who provoked Queenie on Instagram earlier this year because that inspired her minute-long response video which developed into Double Tap. Maybe it was the comical 50-year-old patting her lady parts, or the punchy hook that took over social media, but the song definitely provided entertainment during the early days of quarantine.

Yamabella, Shaneil

Muir

It’s the creeper that exploded with the help of screen recording and resharing. Though Muir has been around since 2016, it wasn’t until she got laid-off in March that her musical career showed great promise. The Florida-based singjay took to Instagram Live every night where she’d sing her music. Viewership grew steadily and Yamabella was a noticeable favourite. Soon enough, clips of the entertainer singing the track landed on Twitter and blog sites, and by the time it was officially released by Papi Don Muziq and Top Braff Entertainment in June, it was already a hit.

Neko, A’mari

“DJ Mona Lisa”

No one would have put Amari’s name and a hit song in the same sentence before 2020, but Neko proved to be the unexpected banger that was equally perfect for trolling and swearing-off your own Neko. The lyrics were effective and (to some) relatable enough, then came the music video starring A’mari in all her tattooed-face, coloured wigs glory. The identity of Neko also drove the song’s popularity, with Amari first saying it was her ex Gully Bop, before saying she lied to further the song’s traction. At this point, no one cares who Neko is, we just need to know that he’s a johncrow who wrecked her life.

Breaking

News, Dexta Daps

“Stop fight wid him, di bwoy love him belly just poison him,” is undoubtedly the bar that made this song achieve its trending status. Daps had first shared a video of him singing the song at the studio on his Instagram page, soliciting opinions. His female followers were amped about it, but many men disapproved of its murderous suggestion. Daps assured all that he was not encouraging any criminal behaviour, and dropped the record to much fanfare.

Lockdown, Koffee

The song quickly became the summer anthem and relaxed at the number one trending spot on YouTube for two weeks.  Its popularity is also attributed to its theme; Koffee had never sung about intimate love before, and folks were here for it. Plus, the visuals served pre-COVID life vibes: countryside beach pars, drop top whips and the whole gang.

Win, Jada

Kingdom

It’s the song that replaced Koffee’s summer banger, Lockdown, as the number one trending Youtube video in the region, and no one was mad. Win won favour because it not only provided a motivational message in rough times, but also showed a different side of Kingdom which was applauded.

Cool as the

Breeze, Chronixx

It’s the Chronixx joint we never knew we needed. The song, also called Friday, was instantly infectious thanks to the fusion of African sounds and genres by British producer Pantha. It also paid homage to dancehall space and culture through its rich visuals, but most importantly, reminded folks of the night life and unrestricted pars that existed before the pandemic.

Lighter, Shenseea

& Tarrus Riley

It’s perhaps the only 2020 local release that music lovers wish was longer. The Rvssian-produced single blew up on the internet in a shorter time span than her 2019 Blessed Tyga-collab, and served Bonnie and Clyde vibes in the fiery visuals. The artistes soon started an online Lighter challenge which saw fans and celebrities singing the chorus, which magnified the song’s popularity.

Call Me If, Dexta Daps

Another summer banger, Call Me If dominated the social media space with an associated challenge which saw fans and even entertainers like Konshens adding a verse to the raunchy number. Its favour was amplified because of its genius sampling of Louie Culture’s 1994 hit Gangalee.