Co-produced by Brvn C and Vas Productions, Prince Swanny’s “Rifle” arguably boasts the best riddim of the past month. A crown jewel in this year’s onslaught of Trinibad tunes, “Rifle” finds Swanny paying tribute to the brooding efficacy of his favorite guns. “We buss gunshot, never roam and stick/ Nuff ah me likklest killas, dem make d whole block split/ Dig hole, one pit, make soul want lift/ Dem will zess on we block whole night till d whole man pree,” he spits over the eerie, dancehall-nodding beat, expertly balancing menacing promises and commendable braggadocio.

In August, Skillibeng unleashed his International EP, and, by the end of September, he revamped the project with a few new tracks. Chief among those additions was the Vybz Kartel-assisted version of “New Gears,” which is arguably the strongest musical showcase Worl’ Boss has delivered since coming home from prison last summer. “Worl’ Boss, d’even prison couldn’t stop mi/ Me get thirty-five and mi gi’ dem back dat quick/ Dem affi wonder if a obeah mi practice/ God mi say, yow, a Jehovah mi practice,” he slickly opens his verse. Between a reference to Jamaica’s ongoing Obeah Act discourse to later giving Skilli his flowers as one of the leaders of the new class of dancehall deejays, Kartel wholly elevates Endo and Madenka’s infectious riddim.

Protoje released “Feel It,” the latest taste of his forthcoming new LP, back in June, and, just a few months later, one of Jamaica’s sweetest voices has delivered her take on the breezy riddim. Alaine, one of the most lauded female voices in reggae and lover rock, turns “Feel It” into “Summertime,” a shimmering appraisal of the love-streaked sunrays that comprise the warmest season. “Fireflies lighting our way as we walk/ Words floating in the summer/ Breeze when we talk/ What we have is endless/ Take away all my stress,” she tenderly coos across the Winta James-produced riddim.

Continuing his string of excellent singles, Grammy-nominated reggae star Skip Marley is back with “Cry Wolf.” Self-written and produced by KTOE and Kardinal, Marley’s new track builds on classic roots reggae themes of unity in the face of injustice and a devotion to truth in an era of shameless propaganda. “Jah, give me resilience, so we bleed no more/ Clothing for the naked, feed the hungry, feed the poor,” he sings, tapping into a higher frequency of steadfast faith that properly grounds his lyricism.

“Hey, don’t call my man phone/ Who said I needed a clone?/ Girl, go eat your dog bone/ Now leave my f—ing man alone!” Spice bellows on her winning addition to Zuchu’s viral musical confrontation, “Amanda.” Aided by its borderline manic energy and engrossing (and, unfortunately, relatable!) storyline of being blindsided by late-night phone calls from a mysterious side chick, Zuchu’s track has taken social media by storm. In her remix, Spice channels her boundless vocal charisma and award-winning performance ability into a searing new verse that elevates the track from mere meme to outright Afro-dancehall banger.

For their first single of 2025, Major Lazer joined forces with Busy Signal and Kybba — now, rising British-Jamaican artist America Foster has joined the party. Making her debut as Major Lazer’s newest member, Foster skates over the booming, high-octane, EDM-inflected dancehall track with ease and finesse. Sure, she’s making her debut, but she certainly holds her own against Busy Signal’s slick wordplay. Between a charismatic new member and a banger of a new single, Major Lazer is officially back.

Dominica-raised, New York-based singer NAVY has returned with a new cuffing season-ready midtempo titled “Here for You.” Featuring a relatively sparse beat complete with nods to the seductive tempos of reggae-soul, NAVY’s new single is a warm, bilingual pop&B track that traces a burgeoning romance through her lush timbre and picturesque lyrics. She captures a special innocence on this track that’s often lost in adult explorations of love, and that’s what makes the track so compelling.

For their take on Good Good Productions’ “Pain Cure” riddim, iconic Kingston-bred reggae-dancehall group T.O.K took some time to celebrate their “True Friends.” “This one is fuh mi friends/ Even di ones that pass and gone, we lift it up fi dem,” they declare in the hook of the bouncy, pop-dancehall riddim. In moving away from lyrical tropes of wining women and steamy dances, T.O.K accesses a level of universality and unadulterated joy that’s been missing from quite a bit of contemporary dancehall.

Veering away from trap dancehall in favor of a sound that evokes similar feelings to groovy soca, Chronic Law delivers a catchy ode to a special “Diamond in the Rough.” “Life good, me deh Miami a look pon skyscrapers/ Heated scheme wid white neighbors/ And me still dark like Ray-Ban/ Bashy a mi bredda, dehya wid me day one/ Mi a push a spaceship, dem a seh mi a alen,” he spits in the pre-chorus of the Alexandre Jones and BlamDem-produced track, slyly revealing that the “diamonds” are himself and his boys holding onto their humility and authenticity as they continue to level up in their lives and careers.

Songs of solace and reassurance are always necessary, especially in sociopolitical times as fraught and turbulent as these. “Sure as the Sun,” an airy, carefree reggae duet between Runkus and Sean Paul, is the perfect song for those seeking those feelings. “Keep positive and keep on progressin’/ Cau’ everything’s a lesson, alright?/ We’re winnin’, haffi sellout your bredren Cause all of we are legend, inna own right!” Paul declares in his verse before Runkus responds with his own Jah-praising verse. Runkus’ releases have been few and far between this year, but when each single is this strong, the wait becomes a lot more manageable.