Vybz Kartel’s ‘Summertime’ Hits 100 Million Views On YouTube
Vybz Kartel‘s catchy summer anthem Summertime, released in 2011, has surpassed 100 million views on YouTube as of Sunday, June 25.
This marks Kartel’s first song as a solo or lead artist to reach such a milestone, following his collaboration with Spice on Conjugal Visit, which hit 100 million views in May 2023.
Summertime proved a shift from Kartel’s indulgence in gun-toting songs and became a refreshing reminder of the Portmore native’s nimble and often unmatched musical versatility.
The groovy and party-thumping track celebrates all the best things about summer with poolside partying, carefree vibes, and a swarm of girls permeating the eye-catching Kirk Lee music video. It was among the last few appearances made by the Worl’ Boss before his arrest later that year.
Andreas Nilsson of the Stockholm-based Adde Instrumentals produced the song.
“I got my start in dancehall by sending riddims to Vybz Kartel, starting with Bike Back. I continued to send riddims and he voiced songs like Summer Time, Open Up and Bubble Hard,” Nilsson told FactMag in 2014.
“In 2011, I told Kartel he should have Popcaan and the other Gaza members voice the ‘Summer Time’ riddim I built. Popcaan voiced Ravin , which was a big hit, and I met him personally in 2012 when he had a show in my city, Stockholm.”
Shawn Storm’s Naa Lie , Sheba’s No Styling , and Vanessa Bling (Gaza Slim)’s Always also appeared on Adde’s Summertime riddim.
Nilsson also produced songs such as Skillibeng’s Crocodile Teeth, Alkaline’s Things Take Time, and Shenseea’s Subrosa.
Summertime is only another in a long line of hits by Kartel that would go on to rule the Summer of their respective years, including Fever, which ruled the summer of 2016 as an international hit; Clarks featuring Popcaan and Vanessa Bling, and Straight Jeans and Fitted, featuring Rvssian.
Kartel’s other popular tunes on YouTube include Colouring This Life (71 million views), With You (58 million), Fever (56 million), and Any Weather (50 million).
One of Kartel’s latest projects – a collab between himself, Rvssian and Trippie Redd titled Sixteen, has notched over two million views on YouTube.