GENRE; Pop/R&B

LABEL; Because Music

REVIEWED; 16 November, 2025

RATING; 7.0

Maureen’s debut LP Queen arrives as a tight, high-energy manifesto: 14 tracks, roughly 32 minutes of lean production that stakes her claim as a leading voice of contemporary shatta and modern dancehall. Released October 24, 2025, the album moves fast — short, hook-forward songs that favor momentum over ornament, and it’s available across all the usual services. 

Stylistically, Queen lives where minimal, bass-forward shatta meets accessible pop — think taut electronic riddims, chant-ready refrains, and an insistently Caribbean swagger. Opener “Welcome To Shattaland” (feat. Walshy Fire) sets the tone: claustrophobic low-ends and Maureen’s slyly confident delivery. Standouts like “Emoji Pêche” (with Konshens) and the sticky “Malalade” show her knack for memorable hooks; meanwhile slower moments such as “Ensemble” briefly risk blandness but are rescued by stronger melodic peers. The tracklist confirms a deliberate balance of club-ready bangers and a few softer detours. 

Collaborations are smartly chosen: established dancehall names and francophone stars help widen Maureen’s palette without diluting her identity. Production is economical — percussion, bass, and voice do most of the work which keeps the album focused but sometimes makes short songs feel like sketches rather than fully fleshed portraits. Vocally she alternates flirtation and authority with ease; her phrasing is playful and often wins the room even when arrangements are spare. 

As a debut, Queen succeeds by selling a clear image — unapologetic, club-ready, and culturally rooted in the Martinican shatta scene while hinting at larger ambitions as she courts international listeners. It’s compact, imperfect, and frequently thrilling: a confident first statement that positions Maureen as a potent ambassador for the genre.