Lovers Dancehall
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Romantic, love-themed dancehall: sweet, sung or sing-jayed lyrics of desire and devotion set over dancehall riddims and digital rhythms rather than the classic one-drop, blending the crooner's melody with the dancehall's bounce and swagger. Production runs from rub-a-dub bass and computerised riddims to slick modern beats, but the focus stays on romance, seduction and heartbreak. The mood is flirtatious, sensual and dancefloor-ready. Dancehall for the slow-wine and the lovers.
History
As dancehall displaced roots in the 1980s, singers carved out a romantic lane over the new digital and rub-a-dub riddims: Gregory Isaacs's dancehall-era "Rumours," Beres Hammond's crossover romances, Sanchez's cover hits and Chaka Demus and Pliers's sung-and-toasted smashes like "Tease Me" defined the softer side of the dance. Wayne Wonder carried it into the 2000s with the Diwali-riddim hit "No Letting Go," and Cocoa Tea, Frankie Paul and others kept the lovers-dancehall tradition central to Jamaican and diaspora radio. It is the romantic counterweight to slack and gun-talk dancehall, and a bridge between lovers rock and the modern era.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- Tease Me(1993) — Chaka Demus and PliersSpotifyYouTube
- She Don't Let Nobody(1993) — Chaka Demus and PliersSpotifyYouTube
- Rumours(1988) — Gregory IsaacsSpotifyYouTube
- No Letting Go(2003) — Wayne WonderSpotifyYouTube
- Tempted to Touch(1990) — Beres HammondSpotifyYouTube
- Close to You(1990) — Maxi PriestSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Steve Barrow & Peter Dalton, The Rough Guide to Reggae (2004)
- Dave Thompson, Reggae & Caribbean Music (2002)
- Lloyd Bradley, Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King (2000)