One of Saint Lucia’s most decorated soca legends, Ricky T, has officially ignited the 2026 Lucian Carnival season with a high-profile cross-regional collaboration that is already taking Caribbean music circles by storm. The nine-time Power Soca Monarch and nine-time Road March champion has teamed up with iconic Jamaican dancehall star Beenie Man for the new single *Bend It*, the lead track off the highly anticipated Stratosphere Muzic Wining Plan riddim. Just weeks after its initial release, the track is already gaining widespread traction across regional and international music platforms.
While the pairing of a top Saint Lucian soca artist and a global dancehall pioneer may have caught some fans off guard, the partnership is far from a last-minute novelty. It grew organically out of a long-standing professional relationship between Beenie Man and Ricky T’s longtime label, Trinidad-based Stratosphere Muzic. Looking back on the collaborative process, Ricky T noted that the pairing was years in the making, aligning with his long-held belief that creative opportunities unfold at the right time. After the artist and his manager Curty laid down the original track, they immediately recognized it had the perfect foundation to welcome the self-proclaimed King of the Dancehall, inviting him to add his one-of-a-kind vocal style to the production.
The collab achieves two key goals: it launches the 2026 Lucian Carnival season with explosive, unmissable energy and carves out a permanent historic milestone in Saint Lucia’s growing music archives. Ricky T explained that his team had already locked in a clear creative direction for *Bend It* before Beenie Man joined the project, which let the dancehall icon seamlessly weave his signature swagger into the mix without disrupting the track’s core identity.
“It never felt forced or like anybody was trying to change the sound completely. It felt more like two Caribbean sounds meeting in one space and creating something authentic,” Ricky T shared in a statement on the collaboration. “Beenie Man respected the Lucian Soca style, while still bringing his dancehall presence people know him for.”
It is not just the star power that sets this release apart. The entire Wining Plan riddim was intentionally crafted to serve as a sonic bridge between regional Caribbean traditions and global mainstream audiences. The production balances a modern, international sound with deeply rooted Caribbean musical heritage, creating a track that feels both familiar to local Carnival-goers and accessible to listeners across the world.
For Ricky T, *Bend It* stands out from his other work because of its one-of-a-kind energy from the very first recording session. “It has that raw Carnival feeling, but also a crossover that can work anywhere in the world,” he said. “The collaboration itself equals growth for Saint Lucian music and where we’re heading creatively.”
The track also marks a key evolution in Ricky T’s decades-long career, showcasing his artistic versatility while retaining the distinct Lucian soca sound that has earned him legions of loyal fans across the globe. The artist has long prioritized creative growth without abandoning his cultural roots, and this new single delivers on that vision. “I’m always trying to evolve without losing the Lucian identity in the music,” he explained. “This song allows me to step into a bigger international space while still sounding authentic to who Ricky T is.”
With the official start of the 2026 Lucian Carnival season scheduled for July 1, Ricky T hints that this year’s celebrations will be extra special, with a string of unannounced surprises planned for attendees. The artist says his preparation for this season has gone far beyond what he has done in years past, and his goals extend beyond delivering a standout on-stage performance. He is focused on creating lasting, immersive memories that will stick with Carnival-goers long after the final parade truck leaves the route.
“This season is about elevation and showing different sides of Ricky T while still delivering the energy the fans love,” he said.
A widely celebrated global cultural ambassador for Saint Lucia, Ricky T was previously awarded the country’s Gold Medal of Merit in recognition of his decades of transformative contributions to the island’s music industry and cultural sector. He is optimistic that Caribbean music as a whole is entering an unprecedented new era of global recognition, and his core mission remains unchanged: to lift Saint Lucia’s profile on the world stage while creating pathways for emerging local talent to build their own careers.
“I want Ricky T to be recognised globally while staying rooted in where I come from,” he added.