“Narcissistic” came out as a music video on 23 December 2022 and as a single on 6 January 2023, through YGF Records and Zojak World Wide. It caught on almost immediately. DancehallMag reported that it was the No. 1 song on YouTube’s Music Charts for Jamaica in January 2023. Vibe later said it topped the Jamaican charts for weeks. By the end of the year, DancehallMag ranked it No. 2 among dancehall’s most-viewed songs of 2023.
More than three years later, it is still one of the biggest songs in both Valiant’s and Stalk Ashley’s catalogues, and they still perform it together. Here is how the rollout went, how the numbers and press coverage developed, and where it has been performed. Watch the official video or read the full lyrics on Genius.
Release timeline
- December 2022: Valiant arrives on a hot streak. DancehallMag later noted that he held five of the top ten spots on YouTube’s Jamaica chart that month.
- 23 December 2022: the KhingCam-directed video premieres on ValiantMusicVEVO. The next day, DancehallMag leads its weekly new-music roundup with it, describing it as a love affair gone wrong.
- 6 January 2023: the single reaches streaming platforms, credited to Valiant & Stalk Ashley, ℗ 2022 YGF Records and Zojak World Wide.
- 23 January 2023: DancehallMag reports that Vogue has named Valiant among nine musicians set to take over in 2023.
- 1 February 2023: DancehallMag confirms “Narcissistic” as January’s No. 1 on YouTube’s Music Charts for Jamaica, with Valiant holding nine of the ten spots.
- 3 February 2023: a deluxe single adds a clean version next to the explicit original.
- 24 February 2023: BBC Radio 1Xtra publishes the duo’s studio performance from Harry J Studios in Kingston.
- 6 January 2024: DancehallMag’s year-end ranking places it No. 2 of 40.
- March 2024: first acoustic performance, at Valiant Unplugged.
- 30 August 2024: the follow-up duet “Big Vibes” arrives on Stalky the Bratt.
- 16 July 2025: Valiant joins Stalk Ashley for the song at Reggae Sumfest’s Blitz.
Charts and numbers
We have kept to figures reported by named outlets or shown on the official upload, with the date of each:
- No. 1, YouTube Music Charts, Jamaica (January 2023): reported by DancehallMag on 1 February 2023.
- Several weeks at the top in Jamaica: reported by Vibe in its September 2024 interview with Stalk Ashley. Vibe did not name a specific chart.
- No. 2 of 40 dancehall songs by YouTube views, December 2022 to December 2023 releases: DancehallMag, 6 January 2024. Only Byron Messia’s “Talibans” ranked higher.
- 44.5 million-plus views: the official video’s YouTube counter on 13 September 2026.
What the press said
The early reviews focused on the duet format and the storytelling. DancehallMag’s first write-up treated it as the lead release of its Christmas week roundup. A year later, its ranking praised the songwriting and the acting in the video. In its Best of 2023 picks, the Jamaica Observer pointed to the collaboration as the big finish to Stalk Ashley’s 2022. The paper also listed Valiant, who had been its breakthrough act of 2022, among its contenders for male artiste of 2023.
The strongest later assessment came from Vibe in 2024. It compared the song to Usher’s “Confessions” reimagined for dancehall, and said listeners had written to Stalk Ashley to say it mirrored their own lives. The theme is covered in our meaning explainer.
Versions
- Original (explicit), 3:03: the 6 January 2023 single.
- Clean version, about 3:09: added on the “Narcissistic (Deluxe)” single on 3 February 2023.
- Official video, 3:14: the 23 December 2022 premiere. See our music video guide.
We found no official remix. A 2023 report of a “Narcissistic” refix on a Valiant mixtape could not be confirmed against that project’s tracklist, so it is not listed here.
Live performances
BBC Radio 1Xtra Jamaica (February 2023)
Within weeks of the single’s release, the two recorded it at Kingston’s Harry J Studios for 1Xtra’s Jamaica series. The performance is on the station’s official YouTube channel.
Valiant Unplugged, Kingston (March 2024)
At Valiant’s acoustic night at TacBar, Stalk Ashley was his first guest, and the Gleaner reported that it was the first time audiences had heard the duet stripped back to a gentle acoustic version. DancehallMag also named their performance as one of the highlights of the night.
Reggae Sumfest Blitz, Montego Bay (July 2025)
Headlining Blitz, Stalk Ashley brought Valiant out for the song. The Gleaner noted that his appearance was planned and that it revived the crowd’s excitement about a track by then two years old. “I enjoyed every moment,” she told the paper afterwards. For her upcoming dates, see the live page.
What came next
The song set up a working partnership. Their second duet, “Big Vibes”, appeared on her 2024 debut album, and the Sumfest reunion showed the first song still worked on a big stage. The full story is on the Valiant collaboration page, in our two-for-two feature and on the career timeline. Her other songs are in the lyrics hub.
If you like “Narcissistic”, you’ll love…
- “Big Vibes”: Stalk Ashley & Valiant (2024). The duo’s follow-up from Stalky the Bratt.
- “Really Like U”: Stalk Ashley x Skillibeng (2024). Her next major duet with a leading male deejay, which reached No. 12 on YouTube Trending in its first week.
- “Gal Policy”: Kranium (2020). Smooth dancehall about the truth of relationships, from an artist whose EP was titled Toxic.
- “Love I Got For U”: Shenseea (2018). A song about walking away from a bad relationship, told from the woman’s side.
Frequently asked questions
When was ‘Narcissistic’ by Valiant and Stalk Ashley released?
The music video premiered on 23 December 2022, and the single was released on streaming services on 6 January 2023 through YGF Records and Zojak World Wide.
Did ‘Narcissistic’ reach No. 1?
DancehallMag reported it was the No. 1 song on YouTube’s Music Charts for Jamaica in January 2023, and Vibe said it topped the Jamaican charts for weeks.
Is there a clean version of ‘Narcissistic’?
Yes. A deluxe single released on 3 February 2023 added a clean version next to the explicit original.
Have Valiant and Stalk Ashley performed ‘Narcissistic’ live?
Yes, including a BBC Radio 1Xtra session in Kingston in 2023, Valiant Unplugged in March 2024 and Reggae Sumfest’s Blitz in July 2025.
Sources
- DancehallMag – Valiant, Stalk Ashley’s ‘Narcissistic’ and 7 more new songs (Dec 24, 2022)
- DancehallMag – Vogue vouches for Valiant as musician to watch in 2023 (Jan 23, 2023)
- DancehallMag – Valiant dominates January with nine songs in the top 10 (Feb 1, 2023)
- DancehallMag – The 40 best dancehall songs of 2023, ranked by YouTube views (Jan 6, 2024)
- Jamaica Observer – Best of 2023: our picks for top dancehall acts, song and more (Dec 31, 2023)
- Vibe – Stalk Ashley’s Time Is Now: Interview (Sep 2024)
- Apple Music – Narcissistic (Deluxe) – Single
- BBC Radio 1Xtra – Valiant & Stalk Ashley, Narcissistic, 1Xtra Jamaica 2023 (YouTube)
- Jamaica Gleaner – ‘Bring live music back! We need this’ (Mar 23, 2024)
- DancehallMag – Valiant talks first acoustic performance (Mar 22, 2024)
- Jamaica Gleaner – Stalk Ashley ‘enjoyed every moment’ performing at Sumfest’s Blitz (Jul 18, 2025)
