She’s bold, she’s outspoken, she’s consistently and unapologetically herself and most importantly- she has the credentials to back it up.

Fay-Ann Lyons Alvarez has been an integral part of the soca space for more than two decades, establishing herself as one of the genre’s leading ladies who has remained relevant even through various seasons and changes.

To this day, the ViQueen is the only female artiste to secure the coveted Road March title three times, all with no features – no easy accomplishment in a genre that is still largely dominated by men, both on the frontline and in the engine room.

Daughter of the legendary Super Blue and calypsonian Lady Gypsy, and wife to another giant in the soca business, Bunji Garlin, Lyons-Alvarez has also proven that the magnitude of her stardom is firstly because of her undeniable stand-alone talent, not her affiliation with or proximity to anyone else. (Yes, we’re looking at those who try to diminish her legacy to simply being ‘Bunji’s wife’).

Your Caribbean Guide highlights five tracks from the ViQueen that speak to her undeniable star power.

Display (2003)

Just 22 years old at the time, Fay-Ann beat out all other competition, safely securing her first-ever Road March title with this offering. It was an impressive feat as it was only her second year in the soca business; she broke onto the scene in 2002 with the song ‘It’s My Turn Now’, an obvious ode to the legacy set by her father, a ten-time Road March winner.

Her unique musical style was a breath of fresh air and coupled with her ability to stay true to herself, she earned an almost instant fan base both at home and with soca lovers abroad.

Get On (2008)

By the time 2008 rolled around, Lyons-Alvarez had already proven herself more than a one-hit wonder, having enjoyed success with other singles like ‘Breakaway’ in 2005, ‘Party’ alongside Ms. Alisha in 2006 and ‘Make a Stage’ in 2007.

She would return with another Road March contender in 2008, securing the title for a second time over ‘Breathless’ by Blaxx and Machel Montano’s ‘Blazin the Trail’, which placed second and third respectively.

Meet Super Blue (2009)

What a year! Pregnant with her and Garlin’s first and only child, daughter Syri, Lyons-Alvarez exhibited true strength as she cruised through the high-paced, high-energy season, managing to walk away with some of the biggest titles of the year.

Her infamous performance of the song at the International Soca Monarch competition that year, which included a cameo from none other than the Blueboy himself, and a message from her unborn baby girl (you just had to be there), sent the crowd into a frenzy and saw her becoming the Monarch winner in the power category- the first woman to do so. She also took home the Groovy title and the People’s Choice Award that year.

The song was also a masquerader favourite on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, giving her a third Road March title and second such win in two consecutive years.

Heavy-T (2009)

Seriously- we weren’t joking when we said 2009 was the year of Fay-Ann! Lyons-Alvarez had the ladies feeling themselves in the fetes and on the road when she offloaded the single ‘Heavy-T’, a song which at its core supports body positivity and acceptance for full-sized and plus-sized women.

The song’s instruction, “Move over, skinny bumper girl” was mostly accepted as a harmless jest, because whenever this song came on, every woman was wining!

Lyons-Alvarez further explained during her winning Soca Monarch category that the song was layered in meaning and was also meant to celebrate the immeasurable contributions women have made to the world, giving flowers to Calypso Rose who graced the stage during her performance.

Miss Bxtch (2024)

“Which man here bad like Fay-Ann?”

Lyons-Alvarez did not hold back on this 2024 single, pointedly responding to critics who have for years tried to undermine her contribution to the artform.

Reclaiming a title that’s often used in an attempt to humble or embarrass her, she gloats on the track, “Guess who’s back in the mother-wukking place with a mother-wukking vibe for your mother-wukking waist. Guess who’s back with a lot of energy and a lot of enemy but none of dem bad like me…Miss Bxtch!”

She gets even more off her chest in ‘Before Yuh Cuss Meh’, another 2024 single in which she sings, “Before yuh cuss me, cuss yuh life. Because yuh living in struggle and strife.”

Lyons-Alvarez has a string of other infectious singles released this season including ‘Single on the road’, ‘Blame Yuhself’, ‘So What’ and ‘Go Together’, a reminder that however you feel about her, the ViQueen simply isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.