Kes’ Debut Single "Cocoa Tea" Tops US iTunes Reggae Chart and More
Breaking News
Kes’ debut single for Carnival 2025, "Cocoa Tea", has achieved unprecedented success, topping the US iTunes Reggae chart as well as several streaming platforms, charts, and playlists in the US and other nations in the region.
Early Success
The song was released on November 15, just before the band’s third yearly East Coast Tour of the United States. During the first two weeks of the tour, which included sold-out shows in Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, Silver Springs, Maryland, Norfolk, Virginia, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia, the song’s lyric video on the band’s YouTube channel exploded to 1,000,000 views, and the song was added to thousands of streaming playlists.
Widespread Popularity
According to Adam Gross, president of Ineffable Records, the song’s popularity has grown significantly in less than a month without the release of an official music video. "Cocoa Tea" has achieved unprecedented numbers, with three million plays, including 1.9 million on YouTube, 400,000 on Spotify, and almost 500,000 on Apple Music. On YouTube, it is still doing over 125,000 plays a day without an official music video. It’s number three on Toronto’s local pulse Spotify chart and sits at the top of Shazam charts in 20 different places.
TikTok Virality
The song is also going viral on TikTok, with 66,000 different videos using the original sound, resulting in 61 million views on the song on TikTok. Gross noted that the song is currently number one in Trinidad, Guyana, Antigua, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, and Anguilla, among several other countries, and is in the top 10 streamed songs.
Lead Vocalist’s Gratitude
Lead vocalist Kees Dieffenthaller expressed his gratitude when the YouTube video reached one million views in a single week. He recalled a period when the band was struggling to receive radio airplay in Trinidad and Tobago, and he was not a household name throughout the diaspora. "Real views. A million views, two weeks! Yuh know ah remember de days when we used to get a lotta trouble to get even airplay, so I give thanks for the day to see this. Thank you for the support, thank you for the love of the song and yo, this is the mission: we’re spreading this to the world, thank you very much!"
Upcoming Events
On November 18, the band made limited pre-sale tickets available online at kestheband.com and izwefestival.com. The band will commemorate their 20th anniversary at IZWE 2025, set for February 25 at Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain.
FAQs
- What is the name of Kes’ debut single?
"Cocoa Tea" - What chart has the song topped?
US iTunes Reggae chart - How many plays has the song received on YouTube?
1.9 million - How many views has the song received on TikTok?
61 million - What is the song’s current ranking in Trinidad, Guyana, Antigua, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, and Anguilla?
Number one - When is the band’s 20th anniversary celebration?
February 25, 2025 at Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain
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