With the rest of his year carefully mapped, deejay Popcaan is aiming even higher and is looking forward to achieving new goals for 2013.

It is without a doubt that this year has been a good one for the young deejay who has been consistently putting out chart-topping songs, a slew of music videos, and touring the world building his growing fan base. Popcaan, real name Andre Sutherland, has established himself as a name to be reckoned with in the industry and a brand that has been flying the dancehall flag high throughout the world.

The deejay has rounded off recent weeks with a MOBO nomination for 'Best Reggae Artiste', an energetic performance in Jamaica at the Arthur Guinness Day concert which was aired to 13 Caribbean countries, a debut performance in Panama, and a concert in Suriname that saw over 5,000 patrons turning out to see the 'raving king'. According to Popcaan, he has seen himself grow from strength to strength and the results are causing rave reviews from his fans.

He said, "The audience response in Suriname was phenomenal, after over an hour on stage, they were still demanding more songs. It's great to see the reaction to dancehall music. Panama, where English is the second language, has really dedicated fans, the whole experience was great."

exploring new territory

The demand for his music will see Popcaan exploring new territory as he vows to work on improving his already energetic live performances, and he aims to execute more with a band so as to keep an authentic Jamaican vibe to his repertoire. "I have formed my own band, because I like the energy of live music and my performance is better with a band. So I am looking forward to doing more shows with my own band," he explained.

The artiste is all about bringing his own energy to his fans that includes his own brand of fun, party and conscious lyrics. For the rest of the year, Popcaan will be doing just that with performances in the French and English Caribbean and, in November, a return to Europe for eight shows, including performances in Germany, Holland, Italy and France.

Preparations are also in place to conquer new territories with debut performances by the deejay in Japan and Africa in early 2013. The fans have been calling and the demand has been met, with Popcaan soon to visit Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa, as well as all major cities in Japan, for the first time.

Also planned for next year is Popcaan's debut album that is scheduled for release in late spring. The album promises to capture all sides of the musically diverse artiste and will feature guest artistes and his main producers.

Before that, Popcaan will keep his fans happy at the launch of his new merchandise line that will be available in stores in time for Christmas and, with new material including a new music video for the Dre Skull-produced So We Do It. On the airwaves now is the reflective hit Can't Believe It on Young Vibes' 'Reservoir' rhythm, with more music to follow produced for Kurt Riley, DJ Smurf, TJ Records and UIM Records.