The 10 Best Caribbean Albums of 2025 (Critic’s Picks)

Nobody does it quite like the Caribbean, and 2025 only offered more proof.

King of Dancehall Vybz Kartel rang in the year with his blockbuster Freedom Street comeback concert and his very first Billboard cover, marking the return of one of the Caribbean’s biggest stars. Although the “Fever” singer did not take home his first Grammy for Party With Me, he did spend 2025 playing his first U.S. shows in 20 years, winning the MOBO impact award, and launching his globe-trotting Worl’ Boss Tour.

As Kartel acquainted himself with the contemporary music scene, two young stars helped propel West Indian rhythms to crossover status. Trinidad’s Yung Bredda teamed up with sibling production duo Full Blown for “The Greatest Bend Over,” an irresistible, zess-infused soca track that steadily grew from local Carnival anthem to global hit. By August, Grammy-nominated R&B singer Chlöe and Ghanaian Afropop star Moliy hopped on a remix for the feel-good song.

Moliy, alongside Jamaican dancehall stars Shenseea and Skillibeng, launched a hit of her own with “Shake It to the Max.” Produced by Silent Addy and Disco Neil, the inescapable song spent over 25 weeks atop U.S. Afrobeats Songs, making it the No. 1 song on the year-end version of that ranking. Though the song was shockingly ruled ineligible for Grammy consideration, as exclusively confirmed by Billboard, “Shake It” defined the summer and garnered remixes from the likes of Sean Paul and Diplo.

Outside of the crossover hits, several other songs helped define the year in Caribbean music, including Masicka’s “Whites,” Ayetian’s “Tip” and “Wah Yo Deh Pan” (with Govana & Nvtzz), Cjthechemist’s “NY Girls” (with Chronic Law), Dezral’s “The Car,” Machel Montano’s “Pardy,” Muddy’s “Payroll,” Armanii’s “8:00 PM” (with Malie Donn), Valiant’s “Passenger Princess” (with Rvssian), Klassik Frescobar’s “Dansa,” Kes’s “Cocoa Tea” and Protoje’s “Big 45.”

This year also saw the third annual Caribbean Music Awards take over Brooklyn’s Kings Theater. Shenseea nearly swept the ceremony with five wins, including dancehall album of the year for Never Gets Late Here, and Masicka, who took home three awards with the dancehall-pop princess thanks to their smash “Hit & Run” single, won a fourth trophy for reggae song of the year. Billboard’s Kyle Denis and Love Island USA’s Chelley Bissainthe co-hosted a red carpet livestream, which spawned a viral moment featuring dancehall legend Elephant Man.

Hurricane Melissa, which devastated Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti, arrived in October — but, by December, the Caribbean music industry banded together to mount two New York-set benefit concerts to fundraise for various relief efforts.

Finally, the Caribbean community also gained a few new ancestors this year, with Jamaican music giants Jimmy Cliff, Cocoa Tea, Max Romeo, Owen Gray, Joe Lick Shot, Leroy Gibbons, Determine, Junior Byles, and Pluto Shervington all passing over.

Before Kartel, Lila Iké, Keznamdi, Jesse Royal and Mortimer face off for the 2026 best reggae album Grammy, check out Billboard’s ranking of the 10 Best Caribbean Albums of 2025.