Dancehall is a genre of popular Jamaican music that originated in the late 1970s.

In the mid 80s the introduction of digital instrumentation changed the sound considerably. French Caribbean group Kassav were the first in the Caribbean to use MIDI technology, laying down the beginnings of a new era, and a new sound in Dancehall.

In the 2000s, Dancehall began to inspire Pop, and experienced worldwide mainstream success. By the 2010s, it began to heavily influence the work of established Western artists and producers.

This saw a new wave of popularity in Western markets, with huge commercial success achieved by a number of singles, including Drake's "One Dance", Rihanna’s "Work" and Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You".