‘Lighter’ could burn a path to Billboard - Romeich Major tips single to be JA’s next big crossover hit

Since its release on September 6, Tarrus Riley and Shenseea's collaboration Lighter has amassed close to five million views on YouTube.

The track has been creating so much buzz that the social media challenge which started to fuel its promotion has taken on a life of its own. The challenge, which calls for persons to show off their vocal ability as they deliver the song's chorus, has become one of the biggest challenges in recent times.

Over the past few days, a host of popular social media personalities, 'regular' Jamaicans, and fellow artistes have all participated in the #LightaChallenge including Wayne Marshall, his wife Tami Chin Mitchell, her sister and The Voice winner Tessanne, and Grammy-nominated reggae artiste Protoje.

As the challenge continues to gain popularity, Shenseea's manager, Romeich Major, has likened the Instagram attention to the buzz created by the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Shenseea, yuh see she, she's a marketing genius innu. She know weh she a do when she a dweet and she have timing lock and so mi affi gi she props pan the whole challenge idea. Mi only see it take off and we never expect that none at all. The only thing me ever see pan Instagram big like that a when dem say black lives matter. Mi nah go round nuh corner," he said. "A thousands a people enter the challenge. It's ridiculous but it's fun too because some people weh me see a sing, dem lighta outta gas but the vibes just nice."

Major added that he believes the song's balance of melody and infectious lyrics is what has caused it to be this addictive.

"Music is a thing like this innu, if yuh have a melody, yuh sell off. Once the melody is right, yah go always sing it. Den if the lyrics simple and catchy, you will sing it. Den if there is something different to it weh nudge yuh brain, it a go stuck in a your brain," he said. "All if yuh nuh like the artiste and like the song, yuh hear it a play yah go say 'Jesus Christ me can't bother mi like it too'. Mi can't stop sing it. It just stuck in a mi head. All when mi deh a di stoplight me a sing the 'stop l-i-i-i-ight."

The designer and businessman turned artiste manager added that he sees the song gaining international success, perhaps with a place for Lighter on one of Billboard's top charts.

"That song is really a team effort. All of us together made it happen because from we hear it and hear the delivery of it, we know it did a go win. (Noted producer) Rvssian build the bad riddim, Shen and Tarrus deliver the bad song and Romeich Entertainment take it and a take over the campaigning and the promotion and the people take it over naturally and loving it," he said. "I see it being the next big international crossver song. We see it and hear it and it a go happen because we affi put it out inna the universe. And we a go do weh we need fi do fi make it reach a Billboard man."