Popcaan’s Great Is He generously toes the line of Christian messaging, while allowing for just enough worldly living, before one’s secular lifestyle denies them access into the pearly gates.
This is the soundtrack to your night out on the town, before your conscience tells you to make Sunday church service in the morning. The pastor’s sermon includes Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”
The album is worth risking a sin or two, as you journey through a series of feel-good, uptempo dancehall tracks, a sprinkle of afrobeat and rap influences, ending with a reflective benediction.
The album and title track “Great Is He” is a flip on the notorious hymn “Great Is He Who’s The King of Kings,” and plays like Popcaan’s diary. He speaks to intimate betrayals, the unraveling state of the world, and his earnest hopes for the future, which adds relatability to the project.
“Defeat The Struggle” opens the album on a calm note. Popcaan ruminates on his steadfastness and dedication to his craft as an artist from St. Thomas Parish in Jamaica, with a fade-out like any quintessential Drake album intro to date. A fitting move as the dancehall artist is a record label signee with October’s Very Own.
Immediately after that single, Popcaan enters his usual and adorned bravado, boasting about what brand named clothing and jewelry he can afford on “Freshness” and “Skeleton Cartier.”
Not to mention, a common thread throughout Great Is He and his discography is the many crafty lyrics Popcaan uses to describe the women he acquires.
Next up, Miss World 2019, Jamaican-native Toni-Ann Singh joins him on “Next To Me.” On first listen, this collaboration is the ideal pop single to adhere to cross-over success. The world renowned beauty pageant winner can hold a note but the song lacks a defining element, one that speaks specifically to sounds of the diaspora.
The African Giant, Burna Boy, and Popcaan come together once more after the standout “Toni-Ann Singh” for “Aboboyaa,” a highlight on the album. In the single, named after a tricycle in the dialect of the Akan language Twi, leave it to the Unruly Boss to find new ways to mention sexual innuendos about riding a bike.
The music video was shot in Ghana during Dutty December. It’s a colourful display of vibrant clothing on even more vibrant people, with a cameo from Ghana’s golden child Black Sherif, which Popcaan has shouted out many times via his Instagram stories.
Mid-way through the album, Popcaan doesn’t steer away from his core audience. The greatest takeaways are the songs “Cry Fi Yuh Body,” “New Benz,” and “Set It” with the latter particularly reminiscent of dancehall records from over a decade ago that would blast through the speakers at your middle school jam.
The single “We Caa Done,” featuring Drake, is another highlight, despite it being the obvious choice. A 6 god patois hook is just the kind of thing you think you’ve heard enough of until you hear another one. It works here and makes for a top addition to the Drake and Popcaan arsenal.
Now that you’ve gassed yourself in the mirror with your freshest fits, turned up in the car and shut it down at the party with Great Is He, you make it in time for church, just before service ends.
Above all else, Popcaan is appreciative on Great Is He, accrediting his humble beginnings and success thus far to God. The album title is two-fold, he’s positioning himself not as God, but a god.
