Monarchs of soca social media

For Carnival 2025, the soca scene isn't just about the road – it's a digital battleground. This report reveals the top 15 artists leveraging social media to command attention and drive the fete.

Today, social media fuels music consumption. The more visible an artist is online, the more streams, bookings, and brand deals they attract.

But success isn’t just about follower count – it’s about engagement. The artists dominating digitally are the ones whose music gets shared, streamed, and played at every fete.

This Soca Social Media Report breaks down who’s winning online and who’s truly connecting with their audience.

For businesses, this data is essential. Whether for brand deals, sponsorships or advertising, knowing which artists have real influence helps you decide where to invest. In an era where digital presence equals market power, these insights matter – not just to fans, but to anyone looking to tap into the soca industry’s commercial potential.

15 soca stars analysed in this report:

Machel Montano, Kes the Band, Patrice Roberts, Nailah Blackman, Yung Bredda, Bunji Garlin, Voice, Lyrikal, Nessa Preppy, GBM Nutron, Trinidad Killa, Kerwin Du Bois, Captain EA (Erphaan Alves), Mical Teja and Nadia Batson.

If you’re a soca fan, this report shows who’s commanding the digital stage. If you’re a business, this is the kind of analysis you should be watching for brand partnerships and advertising opportunities.

So, who’s really running things online this Carnival?

Let’s get into the numbers.

This data is from January 9-February 10. We looked at the last 30 days for the most up-to-date info and we are analysing major social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube).

Who has the most followers? (Largest audience)

Having a big following means you have reach, but it doesn’t always mean you have engagement. Here’s who has the largest audience:

1. Machel Montano – 1.72 million followers (Instagram: 678k, YouTube: 518k)

2. Kes The Band – 1.21 million followers (Instagram: 396k, Facebook: 318k)

3. Patrice Roberts – 1.13 million followers (Instagram: 742k, Facebook: 228k)

4. Nailah Blackman – 1 million followers (Instagram: 548k, YouTube: 173k)

5. Yung Bredda – 888k followers (TikTok: 313k, Instagram: 376k)

Who has the most engagement? (Likes, shares & interactions)

Having a big following is one thing, but who’s actually getting the most engagement?

1. Machel Montano – 623k total engagement

2. Yung Bredda – 405k total engagement

3. Trinidad Killa – 196k total engagement

4. Kes The Band – 154k total engagement

5. Patrice Roberts & Bunji Garlin – 145k total engagement each

Who’s getting the most comments? (Conversations with fans)

Engagement is good, but comments show real fan interaction. Here’s who’s getting the most discussions happening:

1. Machel Montano – 20.1k comments

2. Trinidad Killa – 13.6k comments

3. Yung Bredda – 9.58k comments

4. Bunji Garlin – 7.25k comments

5. Patrice Roberts – 4.92k comments

Who has the highest engagement rate? (Most active fanbase)

Engagement rate measures how interactive an artist’s audience is relative to their follower count. A high engagement rate means loyal, active fans:

1. Trinidad Killa – 5.86 per cent

2. Yung Bredda – 4.82 per cent

3. GBM Nutron – 3.28 per cent

4. Kerwin Du Bois – 2.18 per cent

5. Lyrikal – 1.30 per cent

Best-performing social media platforms (highest engagement rate per follower)

Where are soca artistes seeing the best audience interaction?

1. YouTube – 19.7 per cent

2. TikTok – 5.79 per cent

3. Instagram – 1.86 per cent

4. Twitter (X) – 1.73 per cent

5. Facebook – 0.70 per cent

Best-performing content type (Highest engagement rate per follower)

Which types of posts are getting the most interaction?

1. Video – 4.86 per cent

2. Photo – 4.55 per cent

3. Carousel posts – 2.82 per cent

4. Status updates – 2.21 per cent

5. Reels – 1.56 per cent

Final takeaway: Who’s really capturing the crowd?

This report proves Carnival isn’t just about the streets – in order to become the most requested artist, you've got to build your audience on social media. That’s what brings streams, bookings and major brand deals. The artists who win online are the ones who know how to connect with their fans, create engaging content, and spark conversations.

For businesses, this data is invaluable. If you’re thinking about partnering with a soca artist, this is the type of social media analysis you should be looking at before making an investment. It also shows if you’re not keeping up with these kinds of metrics, you’re behind.

For the fans, this report shows who’s getting the most love in the soca space. Whether it’s Machel Montano’s legendary status, Yung Bredda’s viral moments, or Trinidad Killa’s rising engagement, the numbers don’t lie – this is where the action is happening.

So, as we gear up for Carnival Monday and Tuesday, keep your eyes on these artists, because whether on the road or online, they’re leading the charge in soca social media!