"Replay" (CD single) (by Iyaz, Pop)

Virgin-Islands-born Iyaz is one of the latest artists to throw his hat into the ring of island-pop -- a new music genre that's catching on like wildfire. The singer was discovered on MySpace by fellow island popster Sean Kingston, who has since become good friends with Iyaz. Like several songs by Kingston, the debut single from Iyaz gives a clean account of finding (and keeping) the girl of his dreams. The lyrics contain nothing dubious, aside from an allusion to his girl being like a "gun in my holster" -- which is clearly a convenient if not ill-conceived rhyme with one of the previous lines ("That girl like something off a poster") rather than a suggestion of violence.   

REPLAY pairs the island-pop sound (reggae-esque hooks that are heavy on the synthesizer) with Iyaz's high vocal tones, which are somewhat reminiscent of another singer with dancehall flair -- Akon. The resulting mix tempts your feet toward the dance floor. In comparison, Sean Kingston's sound contains more of a contrast between the lofty synthesizer that characterizes island pop and the artist's deeper vocals.

Released on: November 10, 2009
Label: Reprise
Genre: Pop