7. Kerwin Du Bois — No Apology
Kerwin Du Bois might as well be dubbed the King of Groovy Soca. The Trinidadian is a surefire hitmaker with a penchant for interspersing a slow croon with a power soca-type drop that sends the crowd into a frenzy, before taking them down for a short breather and back up again. His 2015 anthem “No Apology” is a clear statement of intended bad behavior without remorse. The artist encouraged the crowd to “get nasty” and the ladies to “take jam” — something the Caribbean knows well with the acrobatic wining styles showcased during each island’s Carnival. If there was a perfect ratio of groovy to soca required to make a song an across-the-board hit, Kerwin has found it: This year “No Apology,” which lit up Crop Over, Spice Mas and Trini Carnival, was his piece de resistance. —Tishanna Williams