Soca Zess Riddim – Wmg Lab Records

A sharp, bassy soca cut with a proper zess tilt, Soca Zess Riddim from WMG Lab Records leans into the party-side of the genre with big-room energy and plenty of waistline pressure. The 12-track set, out in February 2021, lines up clean and raw versions for Bubbles’ “Hi” and Kibwee’s “D’ Key, ” which helps give the project a little extra club-dj mileage, while Blu Steel’s “Yuh Wah Money, ” Kinzy’s “She Bad Like Dat, ” Psymon’s “Toe T Wine, ” and the Star Brite and Trinidad Killa pairing on “Wine For Your Love” keep the tempo moving with that carnival-ready bounce. WMG Lab had already been working a zess lane around this period, and this one sits neatly in the early-2020s wave where soca was getting harder, friskier, and more stripped for road and party rotations.