International, Genre-Bending, and Unapologetically Herself
Keisha Harris, the Cunupia, Trinidad-born artist known to the world as Lady Lava—Queen of the Freaks—has been steadily evolving from Trinbagonian sensation to regional mainstay, and now, a growing presence on the global charts. Last week, in a feat that quietly signals her transition from regional favorite to international force, 15 different songs from her catalogue charted in 15 different countries on Apple Music and iTunes—and there was even more.
The data is almost as lyrical as Lady Lava herself—spanning from her 2017 release Work, produced by Dreamstarproduction, to recent singles like Bob The Builder. Her sound is as expansive as her audience—stretching, over the past ten days, from Trinidad & Tobago to Cambodia, nearly 17,000 miles away, and countless places in between
Nearly a decade before Work, she recorded her first track, Bring It Back, at Premier Studios in 2008. But even before then, she was writing poetry—shaping verse into melody, and melody into song. Her pen has long been an extension of her voice, and the quiet foundation of a catalogue that now moves across borders, and genres.
This kind of borderless resonance is the result of a catalogue with memorable catch phrases and a youthful edge—music that can hold a party but also hold its own across genre lines, and time zones.
The catalyst for this moment?
Her rise is not the product of virality, but of vision—though having more than 110,000 TikTok followers doesn’t hurt. She now commands one of the largest audiences on TikTok among her peers in Soca and Zess. Nearly mirroring that presence, her Instagram following reflects a parallel influence, underscoring how she’s maximizing reach and visibility. Lady Lava is taking full advantage of the digital infrastructure in front of her—meeting her youthful audience where they already live, and building something that extends well beyond the moment.
Her latest solo release, Bob the Builder, produced by Don Writa and QDA Ent, dropped April 8. Within days, it charted in Barbados, the U.S., and Malta—where it peaked at #24 on the Apple Music Reggae Chart. Back home, as of today, Bob the Builder sits at #34 on Trinidad & Tobago’s Apple Music Top 100—and climbing—signaling the potential for another significant run
Her catalog now exceeds 3.2 million total streams on Spotify, with Ring Finger alone accounting for nearly half that total—an anchor track for both her numbers and her narrative.
Ring Finger, her recent breakout juggernaut produced by Aaron Duncan, hasn’t let up since its debut. The song had the Caribbean and diaspora in a months-long chokehold—and, by the numbers, still does. On Spotify, Ring Finger was featured on the Local Pulse chart in Toronto for four consecutive weeks, peaking at #45. In the U.S., it climbed to #13 on the iTunes Reggae Chart and broke into the Top 200 on Apple Music’s Reggae Chart. The NYC market gave it an extra push with radio rotation. Just last week—on April 16—it appeared on the iTunes Reggae Chart in Belgium, peaking at #14. A fresh data point in a much longer story.
At home and abroad, the song’s dominance was undeniable: #1 on the iTunes Reggae Chart in nine countries—including the United Arab Emirates, France, Belize, the Netherlands, and of course, Trinidad & Tobago. In both the Bahamas and Barbados, it claimed the #1 overall spot on the iTunes Top 100, with Barbados going a step further—holding the #1 position on Apple Music Top 100 for seven consecutive days in August 2024. Even on Deezer, Ring Finger hit #3 on the Jamaica Top 100.
High-profile celebrity endorsements, including a co-sign from Cardi B, helped push the track into broader markets. Free marketing, perhaps—but also a validation of its crossover appeal. The kind of nod that doesn’t just expand reach—it shifts trajectory.
But numbers are only part of the story. What sets Lady Lava apart is her fluency in multiple genres and the cultural currency that comes with it. She’s not bound by Soca’s seasonality or Dancehall’s geography. Her sound is a living archive of Zess, Dancehall, and Soca—often integrated in a single track, offering her audience something both familiar and refreshingly hybrid. That blend allows her to reach a wider cross-section of listeners, particularly women across different scenes—whether they want a Carnival anthem, a dancehall bubble, or a steamy zess-fueled release.
She’s also showing up in new spaces. Earlier this year, Lady Lava made her debut on a major competitive stage—joining Machel Montano and Drupatee on Pepper Vine, the song that won Montano the 2025 Chutney Soca Monarch title. It was a historic win for Montano and a pivotal visibility moment for Lady Lava. The song itself has gone on to become one of the 15 globally charting tracks in her orbit, peaking just last week—April 18—at #52 on the iTunes Reggae Chart in the United Kingdom.
Since Zess and Dancehall operate year-round, Lady Lava isn’t confined to the festival calendar. She’s redefining what it means to be a Trinbagonian female artist in real time—one who can power the Carnival season and still deliver heat all year long.
What’s next? If the current data is any indication, the charts—and the culture—are watching closely. Lady Lava isn’t just having a moment. She appears to be building a movement.
Learn the Lyrics to Bob the Builder.
Check out Lady Lava on Spotify:
