Machel Montano Ushers In Carnival Season With New ‘One Degree Hotter’ Album: Stream It Now
With Trinidad and Tobago’s 2025 Carnival set to kick off this weekend (March 1), Machel Montano has gifted his island — and the whole world — a new album full of soca bangers and international collaborations.
On Tuesday (Feb. 25), the King of Soca dropped One Degree Hotter, his first full-length offering since 2021’s Wedding Album. Titled in reference to both his sizzling soca catalog and newly earned Master’s degree in Carnival Studies from the University of Trinidad & Tobago, One Degree Hotter boasts an impressive roster of collaborators, including Grammy-winning R&B star Ne-Yo (“Truth & Balance”), Nigerian Afrobeats megastar Davido (“Fling It Up”), Trinidadian vocalists Drupatee & Lady Lava (“Pepper Vine”), Vincentian soca superstar Skinny Fabulous (“Fallen Fetters”) and fellow Trini soca giant Bunji Garlin (“Home Is Where the Heart Is”).
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One Degree Hotter also includes a special “road mix” of “Pardy,” Montano’s latest smash, and a top contender for the highly coveted Road March title at Carnival this year. Should he pull off another victory, Montano will tie the legendary Lord Kitchener for the most Road March wins of all time (11).
Montano’s new project arrives just two months into what’s already been a banner year for the soca icon. Last month (Jan. 13), he brought played the very first soca set in NPR Tiny Desk history, delivering spirited renditions of classics like “Famalay,” “One More Time,” “Fast Wine” and “Like Ah Boss.”
Over the weekend (Feb. 22), Montano found himself in a bit of hot water with Nicki Minaj and her Barbz. During a performance of “Good Spirit,” Montano exclaimed, “Nicki Minaj, stop fighting meh down,” which some took as an accusation that the Trinidadian-American rapper was working against Montano by linking up with Trinidad Killa for their new “Eskimo” collaboration. Minaj promptly responded via her Instagram page, threatening to “cuss [Montano] very stink.” Montano then shared a formal apology via social media, saying, “It was a misunderstanding – a mistake on my part – and I’m a big man and I will say that. Nicki, you know I respect you and you know I love you and I did not try to jump out there and attack you and I didn’t want any of your fans or you to feel that you have ever done anything to fight me down. You did the opposite. You always lift me up.”
All is well between the two artists now, with Montano even proposing a collaboration between himself, Minaj and Trinidad Killa. In 2023, Montano and Minaj joined forces for “Shake the Place”; last year, Minaj brought him out as a special guest at one of the New York shows of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour.
Machel Montano has earned three top 10 Reggae Albums: 2015’s Monk Monte (No. 2), 2016’s Monk Evolution (No. 5) and 2019’s G.O.A.T. (No. 1).
Stream One Degree Hotter below.
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