While others are showing off their detest for DJ Khaled and burning his plaques, Koffee continues to make a name for herself after getting one of her tracks on the NY Times Best Songs of 2022 list. Even though it’s New York’s best songs, it gives a clear indication of the impact the 22-year-old has, not only in the Caribbean but the world. Pull Up which features on her Grammy Award-nominated album Gifted, was selected on a seventy-track list curated by Jon Caramanica, Jon Pareles, and Lindsay Zoladz.
Koffee features as the only Caribbean artist on the list which gives the impression that she is the hottest artist on the island but I am sure plenty of the Windies faithful will have something to say about that. The New York Times chimed in that the Best Songs of 2022 list was chosen based on individual tastes and likes and “Identify, grapple with or simply dance away from anxieties of yet another uncertain year”. In addition, Lindsay Zoladz described Koffee’s Pull Up, saying;
“The Jamaican upstart Koffee has a contagious positivity about her, and this reggae-pop earworm is an effortless encapsulation of her spirit”.
With two albums to boot and recognition from the United Kingdom’s MOBO awards for Best Caribbean Music Act of 2022, Koffee cannot seem to put a foot wrong. Koffee is currently on tour in South America with Harry Styles and will be featuring on Sam Smith’s upcoming album Gloria set for release in January 2023.
I am not sure that I would agree with Koffee being the only artist on the NY Times Best Songs list from the Windies, however, it is what it is. You cannot really take the list seriously because at the end of the day, who is Jon Pareles and Lindsay Zoladz, and Jon Caramanica? What I do appreciate is that Koffee is the best thing out of the Islands for the past decade. Watch this space as she continues to rock the waves and impact the world of Caribbean music.
