NEW YORK (Atlantic Records/Soca Music) - "KEVIN LYTTLE," the self-titled Atlantic debut album from the
St. Vincent native, makes a breakthrough No 8 debut this week on the Billboard 200. This marks the first time that a soca artist has reached the top ten on the U.S. album chart, and heralds soca's emergence as the latest Caribbean musical wave to cross over into the musical mainstream. The album also premieres at No 8 on Billboard's "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums" chart. "KEVIN LYTTLE" features the explosive hit single, "Turn Me On," an irrepressible blend of Caribbean soca, American R&B, and Jamaican dancehall.
"The music coming out of the Caribbean is incredibly creative and vibrant," said Atlantic Co-Chairman/COO
Craig Kallman. "With the breakthrough last year of dancehall reggae and the multi-platinum success of Sean Paul, the global appetite was primed for a flow of exciting music from the islands. Soca is yet another fresh amalgamation of styles, and Kevin's fantastic debut offers further proof that Caribbean music has become a part of the mainstream. With our forthcoming release of the Barbadian star Rupee, soca is poised to become the latest sound to be embraced by listeners around the world."
Coinciding with Lyttle's impressive album debut, "Turn Me On" has bulleted to the No 4 spot on the Billboard "Hot 100," where it has been in the top ten for five consecutive weeks.
At the same time, the song has rocketed into the top five at CHR/pop radio nationwide, with an audience of over 100 million, is nearing the top ten at CHR/Rhythmic outlets, and has broken into the top 25 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
The "Turn Me On" clip has been a top five favorite on "TRL," and has earned "Buzzworthy" status and hit the top ten at both MTV and MTV2, is a top ten, "Rated Next" video on BET, and also enjoying major spins on Fuse.
"KEVIN LYTTLE" has already begun to receive critical acclaim to match the success of "Turn Me On." The New York Times recently declared that the album is "likely to turn (Lyttle) into this country's first mainstream soca star," while USA Today awarded the album three stars, noting that "The bouncy 'Turn Me On' is the biggest soca hit in 20 years, but it's just a taste of Lyttle's eclectic, effusive sound."
While it is only now achieving widespread popularity in the United States, soca (soul + calypso) has long been an integral component of Caribbean music and culture. Soca emerged as an expression of Trinidad and Tobago's African and Indian ethnic mix, incorporating dance-oriented East Indian percussive and musical elements into traditional calypso to create an energetic, irresistible party music. The soca fusion has been embraced throughout the Caribbean, where it supplies the rhythmic soundtrack to the islands' annual carnival celebrations.
"Everybody's searching for something new; that's the way of the world," says Lyttle of his soca-based sound's crossover appeal. "I'm trying to be an ambassador for a music that's been underestimated. My main focus is to take soca music where it's never been before, so people can hear our music, our deep culture. It's important for people to know where I come from."
