ARTIST OF THE MONTH: POPCAAN
Four years is a long time in music. For a lot of careers, it's a lifetime.
Four years is a long time in music. For a lot of careers, it's a
lifetime.
It speaks to Popcaan's longevity and unerring talent that his
second studio album, Forever – coming four years after his
debut – was even more eagerly anticipated than 2014's Where
We Come From. Fans won't be overly disappointed with
Forever, but the long-awaited follow up fails to match up to its
predecessor.
Where We Come From raised the bar, it set a level that all
dancehall artists would have to aspire to. It won international
acclaim and brought Popcaan fame and prestige, as well as
new friends in music – most notably Drake. Forever is unlikely
to draw such plaudits, but it is a nicely curated LP that retains
all thekey hallmarks of his first album.
Dre Skull's production remains the perfect platform for
Popcaan's musings on faith, love, family and friends. It can
produce atmosphere at will, something that the majority of
dancehall producers will struggle to achieve. Popcaan has
experimented with a few different sounds since his 2014 opus,
with varied results. Featuring on tracks with the Gorillaz, Jamie
XX and Pusha T has highlighted Popcaan's willingness to move
away from a traditional dancehall sound. However, Forever
is emphatically a dancehall album, with Popcaan masterfully
switching from a mournful, wistful croon on one track, to
verses laden with amorous intent on the next.
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ISSUE 111 / 2018
REGGAE
PLAYLIST
Kingston City
New Kingston
The Journey
Mishka
Fly Rasta
Ziggy Marley
Jungle Revolution
Congo Natty
Here's the reggae on our playlist this month: