There is a strong chance that many of the power soca hits dominating the 2026 Carnival season were produced by the same person. From Bunji Garlin’s *Still A Road Man* and Machel Montano’s *Encore*, to *Capital* by Mical Teja and Patrice Roberts, Diego Martin producer XplicitMevon, born Mevon Soodeen, has emerged as one of the most influential forces shaping this year’s sound.
Music lovers have been praising Soodeen’s work over the past several years, with a catalogue that includes popular anthems such as *Come Home* by Nailah Blackman and Skinny Fabulous, *Anxiety* by Patrice Roberts, *Everytime* by Nadia Batson, and *Take Me Home* by Freetown Collective. In 2025, he secured his first Road March title with Montano’s *Pardy*.
Despite that milestone, Soodeen said his focus for 2026 remained simple: consistency and quality.
“It’s all about being consistent,” he said. “Relevancy is part of the social currency. That in itself is marketing that brings future business, not just within the music industry but across the wider population.”
He explained that all his productions for the 2026 season were created after Carnival 2025, ensuring a fresh sound. The first was the instrumental that later became *Still A Road Man*, which he produced around June, with vocals added months later. While there were technical elements he initially questioned, Soodeen said he trusted Bunji Garlin’s vision.
“He told me it was about staying true to himself and doing things his way,” Soodeen recalled.
Although fans have been calling for Bunji to enter the 2026 Road March competition, the artist has said he will not, remaining true to the song’s lyrics: “I say I done with competition, I eh finished with the road.” Soodeen admitted, laughing, that he tried repeatedly to convince Bunji otherwise.
*Capital* emerged from a casual conversation between Soodeen and Mical Teja while both were in Anguilla in June. After returning home in August, the two collaborated on the song, which celebrates Port of Spain as the heart of Carnival. Patrice Roberts later joined the project, with Soodeen and Teja sharing writing and production credits.
*Encore* was the final major track Soodeen worked on for the season. He recalled the 2025 Road March prize-giving ceremony in October, where Montano mentioned he already had a song prepared to defend his title. Despite this, Soodeen, along with co-producer Kyle “BadJohn Republic” Phillips and songwriter Andre Jeffers, decided to pitch a new idea.
Montano immediately connected with the song, saying it reflected his decades-long career and experience. The track features standout lines such as, “Front page is where legends belong but backstage is where legends are born,” and was recorded on Christmas night.
Beyond the season’s biggest power soca hits, Soodeen has also produced other popular tracks including *Love On D Road* by Braveboy, *Bad Gyal* by Nailah Blackman and Patrice Roberts, *Steam On D Road* by Lady Lava, Sackie and Melick, and *Party Bag* by Anika Berry.
One of the year’s most successful groovy releases has been *Kaya* by Freetown Collective. Soodeen said the song came from his efforts to encourage Muhammad Muwakil and Lou Lyons to deliberately create a “gyal chune.” Though originally intended for mid-2025, the song was released in October and quickly gained national traction, with its music video surpassing one million views.
Unlike previous years, Soodeen chose not to release a riddim this season, instead focusing on strong standalone singles. The strategy has paid off, with many of his productions ranking among the top 100 most-streamed songs on Apple Music in Trinidad and Tobago and across the Caribbean.
Reflecting on the growing recognition for music producers, Soodeen said the acknowledgment is gratifying. He credited fellow producers Kasey Phillips of Precision Productions and Nikholai Greene of NMG Music for helping to spotlight behind-the-scenes contributors.
“We are the driving force behind a lot of these songs,” he said. “It feels really good to get that recognition.”
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