In the days leading up to Alkaline’s return to the local stage an air of criticism threatened to overpower the artiste’s ability. But like a phoenix, the “youngest and the baddest” rose above the negativity to turn in a stunning performance in front of a sold-out crowd.

It was the show’s first staging outside of Kingston since its 2017 inception, but that didn’t stop the entertainer’s loyal following from showing up and showing out.

Alkaline was welcomed on-stage by ear-shattering screams about 2:30 am and it became immediately clear that, despite the naysaying, the man born Earlan Bartley was “Champion Boy” in their eyes.

From the moment the the artiste entered the stage the hit factory was opened. As he churned out one hot track after the other, Alkaline proved he had done the necessary groundwork to be credited among the best entertainers in the dancehall. He didn’t even have to finish any of the tracks, the first verse of all the opening numbers was enough to send the crowd into a frenzy.

Serving up favourites from his dominant 2014-2017 dancehall run, the entertainer quieted any doubt surrounding his stage presence as he commanded the grounds of the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium with the confidence and poise of a superstar.

First, he catered to the ladies with tracks like Pretty Girl Team, On Fleek, Spoil You, One More Time, Company, and Side Chick. He then turned his attention to his “Detta thugs” with songs such as Extra Lesson, Formula, City, and of course Champion Boy.

At that point, the ecstatic audience, who had already sang their hearts out, would have been pleased if the entertainer’s set would have ended there. Still, the artiste kept feeding them hits. As if his sole purpose was to remind the local sphere of his calibre, Alkaline dug deeper into his arsenal of hits and drew for tracks such as Ocean Wave, Impact, Wait Yuh Turn, More Life, and Live Life, which elicited even more cheers from the crowd as the lyrics seemed the most fitting for the occasion. As he sang, so too did his fans, transforming the crowd into his supporting vocalists.

But it wouldn’t have been a true Alkaline performance without him delivering one of his most noted hits to date. As the band played the introduction to the single Afterall, members of the audience drew closer. Some climbed atop speaker boxes to get a better view. Phones in hand, the crowd memorialised each second of the entertainer’s historical appearance.

While the man of the moment may have been the centre of attention in Trelawny, all the acts billed for New Rules delivered top-tier performances. From the likes of Tifa, Silk Boss, Armanii, Intence, and Munga Honorable, to opening acts like Knaxx and Tamo J, the night proved that the genre is enjoying immense success both locally and internationally.

Intence (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Tifa (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Tamo J (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Munga Honorable (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

These ladies are beside themselves in excitement. (Photo: Karl Mclarty)