Dylan Byron (born 10 April 2000), known professionally as Byron Messia, is a Jamaican singer and songwriter. He gained mainstream recognition following the commercial release of his single "Talibans" in 2023. The song spawned a remix featuring Burna Boy, which peaked at number 99 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and received gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[4]
Byron Messia | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dylan Byron |
| Born | 10 April 2000 Kingston, Jamaica |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2019–present |
| Labels |
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Early life
editByron Messia was born in Jamaica, but his family relocated to Saint Kitts and Nevis when he was just two months old.[5] He developed an interest in music during his teenage years and began recording songs at the age of 15.[6] In a statement, Messia reflected on his upbringing, acknowledging the support of his adoptive family: "I was fortunate to be adopted by a loving and caring family, who prioritized my well-being and showed me love and support. My aunts, uncles, and extended family were all instrumental in my growth and development, providing a nurturing environment that fostered my passion for music."[7]
Career
edit2019–2022: Career beginnings
editByron Messia's music career began with the release of his debut single "Living Good" in 2019, which served as the seventh single from his debut project Different Perspectives.[8] This was followed by the singles "Wait On You" and "Fantastic", released the next year.[9]
In 2021, Messia released the singles "Last Forever" on 1 January, "Most Hated" on 22 March, and "Who?" on 13 May, featuring RAW, Tuggy, Tuggis, and others. This marked his first collaboration with other artists.[10][11] The following year, Messia released the singles "Far" on 18 February, "Ride or Die" in March, "Gone Too Soon" in August, "12 AM Freestyle" in September, and "Mhmm" in December.[12]
2023–present: Mainstream fame with Talibans and record deal
editOn 20 January 2023, Messia released the single "Talibans",[13] which peaked at number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100.[14] The song served as the tenth single from his album No Love, released the same day. No Love, debuted at number 8 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. The single "Talibans" was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Music Canada (MC), denoting sales of over 400,000 units in the United Kingdom and 40,000 units in Canada, respectively.[15][16]
On 25 May 2023, Messia signed a recording contract with Interscope Records, marking a significant milestone in his career.[17] A remix of "Talibans", renamed as "Talibans II", was released on 20 July 2023, featuring Burna Boy and served as the second single from Burna's seventh studio album I Told Them... (2023).[18][19] It peaked at number 39 on the New Zealand Hot Singles.[20] He released the single "Mad Dawgs" on 22 September 2023.[21]
On 7 November 2023, he was featured on Chris Brown's song "Nightmares",[22][23] and followed it up with "La La" featuring Suarez in December 2023.[24]
On 27 March 2024, Byron released "Head Chaage", featuring Squash, the first single of the year.[25] A music video accompanied the single, released two days later.[26] He subsequently released "Cyah Trust People" on April 19 and "Tricenarian" featuring Alkadon. On 19 May, he was featured on Alkadon's single "Bad Bitch". Additionally, on 13 June, he released "Choppa" featuring American rapper Lil Baby, produced by Jamaican producer Rvssian and Dinay Beats.[27]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Reggae | ||
| No Love | 8 |
As lead artist
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | NZ Hot [28] | ||||
| "Talibans" | 2023 | 99 | 39 | No Love | |
| "Choppa" (with Lil Baby and Rvssian) |
2024 | — | 32 | Non-album single | |
As featured artist
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [30] |
NZ Hot [31] | ||||
| "Nightmares" (Chris Brown featuring Byron Messia) |
2023 | 73 | 25 | 11:11 | |
References
edit- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/artist/byron-messia-mn0004421064
- ^ https://www.dancehallmag.com/2023/06/01/news/byron-messia-says-talibans-is-more-afrobeats-than-dancehall.html
- ^ https://www.complex.com/music/a/joseph-jp-patterson/byron-messia-on-a-level-interview-with-joseph-jp-patterson
- ^ Dani, Mallick (23 February 2024). "Byron Messia's 'Talibans' Certified Gold In The UK". Dance Hall Mag. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ TiVo, Staff. "Byron Messia Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Romaine, Brown (14 May 2023). "Hard work reaps success: Byron Messia's breakthrough". Kaboom. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Paul Meara, 25 September 2023 "From Dancehall Sensation to International Star: Byron Messia's Rise to Fame", BET, The dancehall artist shares his story of being an adopted child from Jamaica, his musical roots in St. Kitts and Nevis."
- ^ Clash Music (27 May 2023). "Building A New Genre: Byron Messia Interviewed". Clash. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ S.Y. (20 October 2023). "Byron Messia Is Bringing a Different Sound to the Game". Bleu Magazine. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Dylan Andrews (5 October 2023). "In the Lab with Byron Messia". Office Magazine. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Joseph JP Patterson (27 September 2023). "On a Level: Byron Messia". Complex Networks. Complex UK. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Callender, Brandon (25 May 2023). "The Rap Report: Don't sleep on these song of the summer 2023 candidates". The Fader. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Nattoo, Michael (22 May 2023). "Byron Messia On 'Talibans' And His Meteoric Rise In Music". Dancehall Mag. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Kevin, Jackson (3 August 2023). "Byron Messia's Talibans enters Billboard Hot 100 chart". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Dani, Mallick (30 September 2023). "Byron Messia's 'Talibans' Certified Gold In Canada". Dance Hall Mag. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Donovan, Watkis (30 September 2023). "Historic Achievement: 'Talibans' Becomes First Trap Dancehall Song Certified Gold in Canada". World Music Views. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Kevin Jackson (25 May 2023). "Byron Messia signs with Interscope". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Okon, Wongo (20 July 2023). "Burna Boy Travels To Jamaica To Remix Byron Messia's Summer Hit With 'Talibans II'". Uproxx. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Emily, Zemler (21 July 2023). "Hear Burna Boy Join Byron Messia for Vibe-Laden Single 'Talibans II'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Will Schube (23 September 2023). "Byron Messia Returns With 'Mad Dawgs'". Udiscover. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ "Chris Brown releases 'Nightmares' video shot in Jamaica - new song features Byron Messia". Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ "Chris Brown Drops One More Track Ahead of "11:11" with "Nightmares" Featuring Byron Messia". HotNewHipHop. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ AT (1 December 2024). "Byron Messia Continues His Rise to Dancehall Stardom with "La La"". Audible Treats. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Stevian Francis (29 March 2024). "Squash, Byron Messia release "Head Chaage"". Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ "Squash and Byron Messia's 'Head Chaage' Music Video Offers a Glimpse into 'Gunman' Culture". 29 March 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Caroline, Fisher (15 June 2024). "Byron Messia Teams Up With Lil Baby For Summer-Ready Single "Choppa"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
- ^ "British certifications – Byron Messia". British Phonographic Industry. Type Byron Messia in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20231117/7501/
- ^ nztop40.co.nz