Patrice vs Allison Hinds – Song for Song Review

So I know I’m late but I didn’t get a chance to ketch the awesome female vs female showdown featuring two of the greatest female soca artists ever when it streamed live. No lie, I drop asleep. Like I reach that age. Big up Digicel for linking the scene. A soca junkie like me lives for these type of dream matches and Alison vs Patrice is a good one. Allison vs Destra would have been even better but beggars cyah be choosers. Nah but this good, I not just saying that. Alison totally dominated the late nineties to early 2000s like a big bottomed, dread-locked Khaleesi – trust me, no one wanted smoke with Square One Alison. I saw Alison flatten the We Can concert in 2000 with Faluma, I even remembered what she was wearing. It was a form-fitting, blue, soft-suede outfit that shimmered in the midday sun like a fever dream. The entire show ran from 12pm to 12 midnight and we was up dey, wining in the sun for the queen. She was different then.

Patrice on the other hand is now really implanting a gym-sculpted, stiletto-heeled foot on the throne. She burst on the scene in a big way since ’06 when she won road march with Machel but it’s really the last three years that have been in the hands of Patsy. This fact was solidified with last year’s “Carry On“, an instant classic that is compatible with wining in a club or the front seat in traffic. Covid needs to be arrested and charged for robbing Patsy of some good touring income boy. When we talking about who is the Queen B in soca right now, Patsy is it. Her confidence and stage presence is on ten and her live vocals are on point. This battle is classic old school vs new school.

Digicel marketed this battle as a showdown but it was positioned as more friendly fete match than World Cup Finals. Both women maintained a healthy respect for each other, as they should, and the camaraderie was high.

But aye!

Watch meh eh.

I eh know bout that.

I giving you the real!!!

There were ten rounds and two bonus rounds. Alison went first backed by DJ Puffy while Patsy was backed by Parang Boss and part-time treasurer of the Red Man Association, Rome. Each round had a clear winner with two debatable rounds by my count. So without further ado, let’s see who won.

ROUND 1 (Breakthrough Song)

Alison Hinds – Raggamuffin

Patrice Roberts – The Islands

Winner – Patrice Roberts

Verdict – This was the first big hit for both ladies but The Islands is a more enduring tune that has gotten even better with time.

ROUND 2 (Classic Groovy)

Alison Hinds – Bazodee

Patrice Roberts – Wukking Up

Winner – Alison Hinds

Verdict – Wukking Up is a cute flex-out tune but it not beating Bazodee. I was roaming POS that year and if Allison Hinds was a trini, Bazodee was taking Road March easy.

ROUND 3 (Classic Power)

Allison Hinds – In the meantime

Patrice and Machel – Rollin

Winner – Alison Hinds

Verdict – This round is slightly debatable but not for me. There are people that like Rollin…I’m not one of them lol. To me it’s the updated version of Band of the Year but like a Windows 8 kinda update. Also, In the meantime is one of my favorite Alison Hinds songs ever so my bias is on Lizzo. My official defense is that In The Meantime won Road March in Barbados so…

ROUND 4 (Bubble Groovy)

Alison Hinds – DJ Ride

Patrice Roberts – A Little Wine

Winner – Alison Hinds

Verdict – This round could have gone either way. Both were huge hits. DJ Ride was slightly bigger I think. Both are still great songs but to me, DJ Ride just does something to me. That beat calls you on a bumper like your granny calling you for food. Edge to Alison Hinds for looking iconically stunning in the DJ Ride video.

ROUND 5 (Bubble Power)

Alison Hinds – Faluma

Patrice Roberts – Sweet Fuh Days

Winner – Alison Hinds

Verdict – Not close. No debate.

ROUND 6 (Versatility)

Alison Hinds x Richie Spice – King & Queen

Patrice Roberts x Kemar Highcon – Start Up

Winner – Alison Hinds

Verdict – This round was officially titled “Versatility” aka Digicel doing too much. We come here for soca. King & Queen was a legit hit; I never heard that Patrice song before. Not even close.

ROUND 7  (Male Collab)

Alison Hinds and David Rudder – Glow

Patrice Roberts and Kes – Like That

Winner – Patrice

Verdict – That Patrice and Kes go mess up your insulin levels. Glow was cool but it eh ready.

ROUND 8 (Female Collab)

Allison Hinds, Destra, Saucy Wow – Obsessive Winers

Patrice Roberts and Nessa Preppy – Splash

Winner – Alison Hinds

Verdict – Now Splash is a severely underrated tune eh. Thanks to the video featuring two good body gyal in bikins, the song is getting a second look and that’s great. But Obsessive Winers featured the three biggest female soca artists at the time…and the song was fire. Anybody who was there to see these ladies perform live KNOW this one is no debate.

ROUND 9 (Ladies Anthem)

Allison Hinds – Roll It Gal

Patrice Roberts – Real Woman

Winner – Alison Hinds

Verdict – This round was called “Female Anthem”. Both women took it seriously and it ended up with Alison Hinds using one of her biggest singles ever…kinda unfair on Patsy. But ah mean, almost every song Patrice has could technically be considered a female anthem, right? Whappen to Sugar Boy? Or Big Girl Now? Neither was beating Roll It eh but at least the round would have been competitive.

ROUND 10 (Ting 4D Road)

Alison Hinds – Togetherness

Patrice Roberts – Band of the year

Winner – Patrice Roberts

Verdict – The only thing beating B.O.D.Y. is Faluma.

BONUS ROUND 1

Alison Hinds – Aye Aye Aye

Patrice Roberts – Carry On 

Winner – Patrice Roberts

Verdict – Nothing beating Carry On just so. Weird that this was used in the bonus round…maybe the rounds were too restrictive. Imagine one of Patsy’s biggest hits going off in the bonus round which technically didn’t count. Imagine Always Be with Zan didn’t even play.

BONUS ROUND 2

West Indian – Alison Hinds

Old and Grey – Patrice Roberts

Winner – Alison Hinds

Verdict – Alison by default.

FINAL SCORE

For the official rounds, Alison took it 7-3. If I gave Patrice the very debatable round then it would have been 6-4. If we count the bonus rounds that would be 8-4 or 7-5. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

The show was well done. A little too much talking and stalling at parts but the vibe was nice. The format of the rounds were a little restrictive and it hurt Patrice a little. It wouldn’t have affected the score but imagine we didn’t hear Sugar Boy or Always Be in the set? That’s a shame. But well done. I want to see Destra for the next one but I don’t know who’ll be a worthy opponent besides Saucy. But what you all think? You agree with score or nah? Face out.