Why are people just noticing that Spice is a superstar?
The Dancehall Queen has been around for years, churning out hit songs, captivating music videos and influencing dancehall fashion with her particularly flamboyant styles.
So, why are people now seeing her as larger than life?
Well, there are the obvious reasons, like popularization of Jamaican music by well-known singers like Rihanna and rappers like Drake. It also helped that Spice recently appeared on the American reality show, Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta. And we can’t discount Spice’s own self promotion of her music and image to international audiences.
There could be deeper reasons. Of late there has been a growing cultural shift in how audiences perceive Dancehall women artistes who freely express themselves. More often, such women are breaking stereotypes and living boldly and unapologetically in ways that reflect their style and personality.
Social media has helped to promote these women who are dressing and styling themselves how they want, sharing their opinions and calling out misogynistic comments and behaviour. The growing success of American rapper Cardi B, who was also on Love and Hip Hop: New York, is also evidence of the increased acceptance and love of the vivacious woman.
Spice’s rise in popularity is coming at the right moment. Her forceful personality is meeting this culture shift head on. Her profile is getting more robust and her fans are increasing. More importantly, her branding success is likely to make room for more Dancehall Queens to find a place on the world stage in the future.