A Structural Distinction
Music has long been intertwined with political campaigns worldwide.
In the United States, for example, politicians historically rewrote popular songs to include their names or slogans. John F. Kennedy adapted Frank Sinatra’s High Hopes in the 1960s.
Over time, strict copyright laws and concerns over derivative works shifted campaign music in much of the Global North toward the use of original recordings as anthems rather than rewritten tracks.
Modern campaigns in the broader context, now rely on licensed songs as rally soundtracks, walk-on music, or background themes, preserving the artist’s work while signaling alignment or energy. For example, in 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris used Beyoncé’s Freedom as a walk-on anthem during her campaign, having secured permission from the artist’s representatives.
In parts of the Caribbean, the approach has remained consistent with the earlier U.S. model: popular songs are rewritten or remixed to include candidates’ names or slogans. Historically, these political soca/dubs were ephemeral, performed live at rallies, aired locally, or circulated on trucks, and their impact was largely untracked. We see this recently with Yung Bredda rendition of The Greatest Bend Over with Mia Amor Mottley, SC MP, Prime Minister of Barbados.
In this context, the track is primarily used as a tool for political mobilization to unify supporters at rallies.
In Trinbago, political parties continue to remix the campaign trail with complete soundtracks, drawing on the island’s deep Soca and Calypso traditions. The local media in Trinidad & Tobago appears to assert that “…music has emerged as one of the most potent campaign tools of the past two election cycles.”
This cycle, however, shows a notable shift, specifically in Barbados and, St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Campaign tracks are now formally recorded, uploaded to Spotify and Apple Music, and attributed with full metadata, generating measurable chart activity and streaming data. While streaming volumes remain modest, the presence of multiple parties and the ability to track engagement and monetization marks a structural evolution in Caribbean political music, and in particular the use of Soca.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, we found that two of the major parties contributed to the emerging digital campaign ecosystem. The Unity Labour Party (ULP), a democratic socialist party that held power from 2001 to 2025 under the premiership of Ralph Gonsalves, appeared on Spotify as a credited artist in November, releasing five tracks in collaboration with performers including Luta, Fireman Hooper, Jamesy P, and Skinny Fabulous.
Chart activity on Apple Music (World) demonstrates measurable audience engagement: P Pi Lingggggg (with Jamesy P) debuted at #77 on November 15, peaked at #9 on November 26, and charted intermittently for 28 days over three months, also reaching #70 in Grenada and appearing in the British Virgin Islands. We Not Leaving (with Luta) reached #22, Neighbour Door (with Fireman Hooper) peaked at #41, and Labour Horn (with Luta) reached #45.
Simultaneously, the National Democratic Party (NDP), a moderate conservative political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, led by Prime Minister Godwin Friday, released ten tracks under its Spotify artist profile, collaborating with Patches, Magikal, and Karbon Jamz. Three tracks, Friday, Yellow Is the Code (with Karbon Jamz), and Together We Win, topped the Apple Music Top 100 in Saint Vincent, reaching #1, #12, and #13, respectively. Other releases, Run Dem in Deh Hole, NDP We Voting, and Put On Yuh Yellow, appeared on Apple Music (World), peaking between #44 and #178, with Run Dem in Deh Hole charting intermittently for 15 days through mid-December. While the top three tracks achieved the highest volumes, duration favored Run Dem in Deh Hole, illustrating the typically short lifespan of political releases on streaming platforms.
The NDP’s success in chart performance coincided with its historic electoral victory over the ULP, which had held power since 2001. Three NDP tracks peaked within the top 100 on Apple Music in Saint Vincent, with Friday reaching #1. Whether this musical momentum reflected or anticipated political outcomes is unclear; streaming data alone cannot establish causation.
In Barbados, the Labour Party (BLP) approached its February 2026 campaign as a formal six-track digital project, reimagining some of the biggest soca songs in recent memory with contributions from Jordan English, Leadpipe, Mikey, Mr. Blood, Lil Rick, Peter Ram, Tionne, TC, Biggie Irie, Marvay, and Edwin Yearwood. Tracks found measurable traction on Apple Music (World), with Tek Charge Mia quickly rising into the top tiers, while When Labour Leads and Darkers (BLP Remix) also found notable chart visibility. Heart of the Party joined the rotation, demonstrating that audiences were engaging with these campaign dubs beyond live rallies. Voting Fuh BLP has yet to register chart activity.
Across both Barbados and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, these releases highlight a structural shift in Caribbean political music. Campaign tracks are no longer ephemeral or limited to rallies, they are now formal digital products with platform-native distribution, measurable reach, and the potential for monetization.
Soca music sits at the center of this transformation, with an evolution in strategy: political music is now trackable and persistent, moving beyond the anecdotal, fleeting presence of previous cycles. This formal association of soca tracks, and, by extension, the artists themselves, with specific political parties raises new questions. When a party loses power, the songs remain in the digital ecosystem, tied to the artists’ performance but also publicly associated with a political group.
Unlike a traditional anthem that exists independently of party affiliation, these tracks occupy a dual space: they are both popular music and a digital record of political messaging. For artists, this can extend reach and engagement, but it also situates their work within a political narrative that may outlast, complicate, or redefine their audience perception depending on election outcomes.
Take a listen to Political Soca by some of your favorite artists:
