Prince Swanny anticipates growth of ‘TriniBad’ in 2023 - Genre that mixes in dancehall projected to soar

Recording artiste and known toaster Prince Swanny has been fan-proclaimed as a pioneer on the 'TriniBad' scene.

The Port of Spain native popularised the movement of blending dancehall, trap and Trinidad's indigenous music, and believes that the demand for him means that the genre's popularity is rising globally.

"Our consumption is strong both in the Caribbean and internationally. If you go on Apple Music and look at the charts for the top songs in different countries, you can see Prince Swanny music showing up all over. Things are looking up," he told THE STAR about the sales of music and its potential to double in 2023. "TriniBad is growing tremendously worldwide. I anticipate its increase support," he continued.

He said that while it may not fit into the soca scene as the twin island republic's artistes are now preparing for the 2023 Carnival Season with new music, TriniBad music is widely enjoyed.

"I believe everything has a season. If it plays or not, it's still full respect to everyone. Caribbean artistes, like all artistes, need a proper marketing strategy and a strong team behind them. Right now, I've got my manager, Kells, and we've got a strong team behind us at Equity Distribution (EQ). Things are looking up," he said.

EQ is the new distribution platform under Jay-Z's Roc Nation record label, to which Prince Swanny recently signed a distribution deal. In July, he released the first single titled Govern from his upcoming sophomore album Swanology.

"For my new album, we worked with some producers from the soca scene, Stadic and Johnny Blaze. What we came up with is not soca, but I think fans of that music will enjoy it," the artiste said. "It is for the ladies and is we govern the ladies. Swanology is me being 'Swan' the professor, the teacher, and I declare class is in session. Fans should stay tuned, and expect the unexpected."

When asked about making TriniBad on par with leading international genres, Prince Swanny explained, "My plan is to continue working hard and seeing what good opportunities come along the way to put us TriniBad artistes to the next level."

Prince Swanny, given name Taryll Swan, received his breakthrough in 2017 with the single Go Fi Dem and again captured attention with Watch Your Friends in 2018 and Bread Winner in 2019. His growing profile overseas has led to collaborations with French dancehall star Kalash, Jamaican dancehall stars Skillibeng and Jahvillani. Other popular TriniBad artistes include Medz Boss and Plumpy Boss, with whom he has also collaborated.

"Most of the people I've done collabs with, it came naturally. We met through real vibes, we being we, and it just happened. We've got a few collabs in the archives too. Me soon touch Jamaica so keep an eye out," Prince Swanny said.