Barrington Levy has delivered a pointed message to today’s music industry, pushing back against the obsession with views and likes while calling for a return to an era when music was sold, owned and built to last. Speaking during an interview with UK-based platform Nobody Is Really Watching at the WOMAD Festival, the reggae and dancehall pioneer reflected on the shift from physical record sales to a digital landscape dominated by streams, views and social media engagement.
The veteran singer, whose career spans more than four decades, admitted he is still more accustomed to measuring success through records sold than digital numbers, declaring: “I’m used to record sales, not views and likes. I wish the music would go back to vinyl.” Levy also appeared to question the modern culture of celebrating massive view counts, contrasting it with the physical era, when listeners bought records they could keep and own.
However, his message went beyond nostalgia. Levy used the moment to urge the next generation of artistes to create music with real substance rather than chasing fleeting trends. “The love for the music is very important to me,” he said, while describing himself as a trendsetter rather than a follower. His advice was clear: make songs with lasting strength, stay original and let genuine passion for the craft guide the work.
For an artiste who emerged from Jamaica’s sound-system culture and went on to become one of reggae and dancehall’s most recognisable voices, Levy’s words carry the weight of experience. In an age when a song can generate millions of views overnight and disappear from public conversation just as quickly, the singer is making the case for something increasingly rare: music with enough substance to outlive the numbers.
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