Jamaican artist Shenseea talks about her second album, the real inspiration behind her songs, why the dragon is an important symbol of her, her son and how she loves to dress him, writing music to help and relate to other women, her previous big collaborations with Major Lazer, Kanye West, Christina Aguilera and more!
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00:00It's just like me coming back stronger than ever
00:02because I've been through a lot for the past two years.
00:05I'm about to be riding a dragon.
00:07Don't tell nobody.
00:08Hey guys, it's your girl, Shensia,
00:10and you're watching Billboard News.
00:20Hey, it's Tetris with Billboard News.
00:22I am being blinded by the star power today
00:24for my girl, Shensia.
00:30Looking at my wrist, I bet you I'm the best,
00:32best, best, best, best, best, best.
00:36Miggy, I hit on her.
00:38Miggy, I hit on her.
00:40You picked a great time to come by.
00:41Yes.
00:42Your new album is about to come out very soon.
00:45How are you feeling?
00:46I'm feeling really good, you know?
00:48I'm excited.
00:48It's my second project, so a little bit nervous,
00:52but, you know, because, you know,
00:53you set a tone with the first one
00:55and you should always try to beat the first one.
00:57So it's a little bit pressuring,
00:58but I'm still excited and just going with it nonetheless.
01:01Well, let's talk about the title first.
01:02Never Gets Late Here.
01:03What is that referencing?
01:04It means to me, timeless music.
01:07You can put on this album and it just never gets old.
01:10You know, it's pretty deep and I love timeless music.
01:13That's the type of music that I grew up on
01:15and that's the type of music I think that lasts
01:17and really inspires great artists to come.
01:19And I want to be able to do that as well
01:21because I've been inspired by many great artists, so.
01:24That's a great goal to set out on.
01:25Yes.
01:26And what would you say are the, like,
01:27overall themes of the project?
01:28Well, it's the year of the dragon, as you know.
01:31And the dragon has been my logo
01:33from the very start of my career.
01:35You know, it represents strength.
01:36You know, and I'm half Asian as well,
01:38so I think it's authentic to me.
01:41And this year, I'm going to be, like,
01:44bringing you into this world where it's more nature,
01:47it's more serenity, it's so calm.
01:50You're just relaxing, you just vibe
01:52and listen to great music.
01:53See, I like that you said the serenity,
01:55and you talked about how you've been through a lot
01:56the last two years.
01:57So Alpha came out in 2022, so that's been two years.
02:00So how would you say your life has changed
02:02in those two years that makes this project
02:04different than Alpha?
02:05It makes it different because I've had to maneuver
02:07between my sound and trying to find the right direction
02:12of where I actually want to take my career next.
02:15You know, because I'm not an artist
02:16where I want to be doing the same thing
02:18over and over again.
02:19I want to represent in a way where it's still sincere,
02:22I'm keeping it authentic, but you don't get bored.
02:25It's not the same thing as you've heard on Alpha.
02:27So it's been pretty challenging
02:29because I've done so many songs,
02:32just trying to figure out the right pitch
02:33and the right vibe and the right tone
02:36of what I want to set next.
02:37And so it has just been a lot on my mental health.
02:40I've been just changing over and over,
02:42doing different, different vibes
02:44and not sticking with, you know,
02:46I'll make a decision today and change it tomorrow.
02:49So it has been pretty challenging
02:50where that has been concerned,
02:52but you know, I'm more confident now.
02:54I have more chutzpah, it's here.
02:56So let's hope for the best now.
02:58And you said you're more confident now.
02:59So when do you know, like, this track is finished,
03:02this album is done, it's in the book?
03:04When I have no more changes to make, you know?
03:06I can sit and I listen to it over 10 times
03:08and I'm satisfied.
03:09âȘ I pray one day somebody keep their company âȘ
03:14Well, let's talk about some of the tracks on the album.
03:16I want to go through them.
03:17So Hit and Run, you put out back in January.
03:19Yes, sir.
03:20Hit and Run was all about, you know,
03:21that big accident you had where you left them in the street.
03:23I'm just messing with you.
03:26But the single was obviously about
03:27being trapped in a relationship.
03:29So why did you feel like that was the first offering
03:31you wanted to put out?
03:32I feel like I always speak through my music
03:35to stuff that women are shy to speak on, you know?
03:39You need them to feel empowered
03:40and I've always given that in my music.
03:42You know, like even rebel, you know?
03:44Some women, they feel how they feel,
03:46but I feel like the pressure of the society
03:48that we're living in these days,
03:50it's just like, you know, it's hard to speak up.
03:52Me as an artist, I am the voice
03:54and I'm supposed to speak for other people
03:56and supposed to empower them and make them feel confident
03:59and speak however they feel.
04:00It doesn't matter who is watching or who is judging.
04:03If that's you and it relates to you,
04:05you live in your truth.
04:06And Hit and Run is just a song about being not locked down
04:11and trapped, as you say.
04:12And I think a lot of women can relate to that these days
04:14because relationships are so hard, you know?
04:17Especially in these times.
04:19You try to settle with somebody
04:20and then they end up disappointing you
04:21or embarrassing you.
04:23Worst.
04:24People be embarrassing people these days.
04:25Yeah, so I really feel like,
04:27as much as we all would love to have a happy ending,
04:30it's hard to find these days
04:31and you just gotta have fun for now
04:34until the right one comes.
04:36âȘ And that's a no for me âȘ
04:39Also, you had Massika and Die Genius on the song.
04:41The Genius, yeah.
04:42How did you decide to use those collaborators?
04:44Well, The Genius and I have been working
04:46for a long time.
04:47You know, we have a couple songs
04:49that we've done together in the past
04:50and this is our third that's out.
04:52And he was pretty excited about the song.
04:55We did that in L.A.
04:56And it was supposed to be a solo song.
04:58I was supposed to drop another song first
05:01and it didn't get to come out
05:02because we have had a lot of stuff going on
05:05behind closed doors.
05:06So it couldn't get to drop.
05:07But before that, I've turned this song into a collaboration
05:10because I was like, my first song should be a solo
05:12and then the second song should come out as a collaboration.
05:15Something that people would love, would never expect.
05:18And so Massika and I have been trying to get one for years
05:21because we've both been in the industry for some time
05:23and we're like, you know, we're real friends.
05:25We have to get one together.
05:26And we just didn't mesh until I let him hear
05:28Hit and Run and he was like, yo.
05:30It's the one.
05:30The first line, he was like, this is a hit.
05:33This is a hit.
05:33This is it.
05:34He did not hear anything else.
05:36He was like, I don't need to hear anything else.
05:37This is it.
05:38So I put him on it and he tore it up
05:40and released it and boom.
05:42And now we're gonna talk about Never Never.
05:45Which is gonna be the next introduction to the album.
05:49So why did you feel like this was the next representation
05:51of the full project?
05:52I love Never Never.
05:53Never Never is one of my absolute favorites.
05:56It's something that I can really relate to.
06:00I think that people and all my fans look at me
06:02like a strong, confident woman.
06:04And this was a situation that I got trapped in
06:06where it broke down my self-confidence.
06:08It made me a bit insecure.
06:10It made me have anxiety.
06:12It's like, you can never see it ending,
06:14no matter how many times you try to leave,
06:16it's just still here.
06:18And over time, as you know,
06:20when it's the right time to go,
06:21then we set apart when God says.
06:24But I've never been in a situation like that.
06:26And I think this one is the one that speaks to me the most
06:29from my whole album.
06:30Because it was so traumatic for me
06:32and I've never been through it.
06:33I've always been like, F that man.
06:35F that nigga.
06:37K that man.
06:37We don't care.
06:38So for me to meet this person, it was just like, whoa.
06:41How do you break down this trend
06:45and putting me in a position
06:46where I feel like I have to build back from the ground
06:49is insane.
06:51I never could see myself in a certain position,
06:54but it happened.
06:54And this is the one where it's like a real story.
06:58It's so real.
06:59And I know that so many women can relate to it,
07:01but I could never do a song like that for them before
07:04because I've never been through it.
07:05And I like that you actually said that
07:07because a lot of times artists can take something
07:10that maybe they haven't been through,
07:11but you want the music to be authentic to you.
07:13So you didn't tell this story until it happened to you.
07:15Until it happened.
07:16I couldn't tell it.
07:17I could not tell it.
07:18I've never been through it.
07:19So it's like, girl, just get up.
07:22That is me just looking down on another woman
07:24and be like, just stand up.
07:25But me being down there and be like,
07:27whoa, it's not that easy.
07:29It gave me a whole different perspective.
07:30And I was like, whoa, let's just take our time.
07:33Well, now that you've been on the other side,
07:34when you used to tell somebody just stand up,
07:36what advice would you give to somebody
07:38in like a toxic relationship now?
07:40Be patient with yourself, you know?
07:42And try to draw your hand out of a lion's mouth slowly.
07:47Okay, patience?
07:47Yeah.
07:48You're teaching lessons today, she, to y'all.
07:50Trust me, me learned them.
07:51I've learned all the lessons.
07:55Well, now we got to talk about loyalty.
07:57Yes.
07:57Because see, the key lyrics in loyalty,
07:58I love my man and he loves me.
08:00You are the love of my life.
08:02No other one to you.
08:03So I think some feelings have changed around.
08:05Yeah.
08:06No, no, no.
08:07I've done that.
08:08I did that song quite a while back,
08:10but I know what that feels like.
08:11So I wrote that.
08:13I know what that feels like.
08:14I know how to be like, oh, this is the one.
08:16You're the one.
08:17This is that, blah, blah, blah.
08:18And a lot of women can relate to as well.
08:19So that one wasn't as hard for me.
08:21Because it's like opposite of obviously what hit and run mean
08:23and what kind of like the other songs stand for.
08:25But I never said I was in a relationship
08:27when I'm on hitting and running though.
08:28Oh, okay.
08:29Okay, excuse me.
08:30I never said that.
08:31I'm just saying, you know?
08:33And would you say loyalty is one of your favorite songs
08:35on the album?
08:36Loyalty is one of my likable songs.
08:39One of my favorite is Faithful.
08:41And why does Faithful speak to you?
08:42Because I'm faithful until you give me bone.
08:46Until you cheat on me, then I'm not faithful anymore.
08:50But, you know, and I'm going to let it known.
08:53It's either I'm going to leave you
08:56or you're going to get it right back as a Libra.
08:58Sorry.
08:59Okay.
09:00And I'd rather to leave.
09:01Yeah, I'd rather to leave.
09:01I don't even have time.
09:03But if I don't leave, you just know what is up, you know?
09:06And we still got our classics you can see in there, too.
09:08We got the Dancehall, of course, with Flava.
09:10It's a good time of party song.
09:11Did you feel like that was something you needed
09:13to make sure your fans got from this album?
09:15Yes, it's a bit more on the pop side.
09:18And I integrated some Dancehall accent in it as well.
09:21So that's what I think makes it so unique.
09:24And I want my listeners to hear this track
09:26and be like, yo, this reminds me of food
09:28because this girl is always cooking, you know?
09:31So it's still authentic, too, you know?
09:33It's just, it's all about the flavor.
09:35Nobody can complain about that
09:37because it's still authentic.
09:39You say it's like a pop song.
09:40So how do you feel like you approach genres
09:42when you're creating these songs
09:43and you're thinking about, will it fit on this project?
09:45Can I mess with this sound or this sound?
09:47You know, I actually just create freely.
09:49Afterwards, we decide, you know?
09:52I'm not trying to go in.
09:53I used to do that, and it made stuff
09:54so much more complicated because you're thinking too much
09:57when you're creating, and you can't do that.
09:58You just have to feel.
09:59So these days, I'm like, let's just create.
10:02Whatever comes out, comes out.
10:04If it makes a project, it makes a project.
10:05If it doesn't, oh well.
10:11I feel like I learned a lot today.
10:12You're teaching me things.
10:13True.
10:14All right, okay.
10:15I'm gonna have a book called Sincere's Advice.
10:17I'm just gonna go by that.
10:23Let's talk a little bit about your career
10:24and kind of like where you got started.
10:26So did you always know you wanted to be a singer?
10:28Always knew.
10:30I mean, these days now, though, it's just like,
10:32so nobody couldn't tell me, said this.
10:34It comes with a lot more than the fun times.
10:37Yeah.
10:39Because I'm out here figuring out like,
10:41wait, I'm a little bit tired over here,
10:43but y'all didn't make this look, you know,
10:46this easy, this hard, I mean.
10:48But I'm not complaining.
10:49Once you love it, you will put up with anything
10:52that it comes with.
10:53You jump over the hurdles over and over again,
10:54and that's what I'm doing now,
10:55because ever since I was a kid,
10:57I always knew that I wanted to become an artist.
10:59And you said you wanted this since you were a kid.
11:01So what were some of your earliest memories of music?
11:04Oh, I remember singing Whitney Houston's song,
11:07Greatest Love of All, in church.
11:09That was my very first time performing
11:11in front of an audience.
11:12I almost pissed myself.
11:15Because I was like eight or seven years old,
11:17but it went really well.
11:18And yeah, in church.
11:21That was my favorite memory.
11:22And another one in church where I tried to do the choir.
11:25It was not working.
11:25I tried to do the choir in school.
11:27It was not working out.
11:28I was like, I feel like I was born
11:30to become a lead singer.
11:32Oh, you were like, I can't do this.
11:33I can't do this.
11:34I respect y'all.
11:36I respect the sound.
11:37You're sharp over there.
11:38You're a little flat.
11:40Well, let me get my shine.
11:42So I've always felt like that
11:44until I joined another group,
11:45which I held my own notes,
11:47which I either battled between like an alto or soprano
11:50or a tenor,
11:51while my other team members held their own notes as well.
11:55So each of us stood out in our own ways,
11:57and that's how it made me learn to harmonize.
11:59And then you also started working
12:00on a lot of other artists' projects,
12:02like Christina Aguilera, Tyga, Major Lazer.
12:04âȘ All for you, all for you, all for you, all for you. âȘ
12:06âȘ Take it to anywhere you want. âȘ
12:09How did that kind of part of your career start?
12:10I mean, it helps me to get over my nerves,
12:15because I feel like artists,
12:16they're easily intimidated by other's success,
12:19not to be bad-minded,
12:22not like that vibe,
12:23but more of intrigued like,
12:24whoa, this is the pressure to hop on somebody like this.
12:28Who's this successful in the industry?
12:30Like, what do I bring to the table?
12:31But you will never know until you do it, you know?
12:33And just me doing it over time
12:35and just taking on the challenge over and over
12:37and just trying to be myself,
12:39it helps that there's nothing I can't take on, you know?
12:41And I mean, that was such a cool way
12:43to kind of start and get your career going,
12:44but what do you feel like was your big break?
12:46When do you feel like this was the moment
12:48I knew things changed?
12:50One of the moments I knew things changed
12:52was when I did the collaboration with Kanye.
12:55I felt like that opened a whole different type of doors,
12:59you know, fashion, hip-hop,
13:02you know, different artists just reaching out,
13:04you know, because I think that Kanye is like, he's cool,
13:06you know, as much as how he's artistic,
13:09he's a cool person to even look at,
13:13you know, always entertaining.
13:14So I feel like just me being associated with him,
13:16it has led me to a lot of open doors.
13:19You're very strategic.
13:20Like, I can tell you're very thoughtful.
13:22I am too thoughtful.
13:24What about your career and your decisions?
13:25So what would you feel like is the way
13:27you kind of, like, approach your own career
13:29when you think about planning your next steps?
13:31Remember I just told you that I'll be making decisions
13:34yesterday and changing tomorrow?
13:36Does your team love that?
13:38They hate it.
13:40They're tired.
13:42They're frustrated.
13:44Like, they can tell you my whole team.
13:48But, you know, it makes me look at them with love
13:51because they're still here.
13:52You know, many of them could be like,
13:53nah, we tired. This girl is crazy.
13:55We outta here.
13:56But the fact that they're still here,
13:58it really shows me that they're supposed to be here
14:00because I would never rather to choose people
14:03who easy to bail on me to go where I'm going.
14:06I want people who are going to stay down
14:07to all the thick and thin, you know,
14:09through all the losses and the wins.
14:11And my team does that for me.
14:12And I'm just super grateful.
14:16And I got to talk to you about fashion today
14:18because, I mean, every single time I interview you,
14:20you just come pulled up like...
14:22Thank you.
14:23Snatched every time.
14:24Like, just flawless and effortless.
14:27So tell me, like, what inspired this look today?
14:29I wanted to come on here shiny, like it started, I am.
14:31Okay.
14:33That look is from Stella McCartney.
14:35I love, I love, I love this brand.
14:37Always shiny because I'm a big fan of glistening stuff,
14:40but not too much.
14:41And I think that they always make it look so classy.
14:44This is what I chose today, my stylist and I.
14:46Okay, I need to take that into consideration for myself.
14:48It's like, I like a bling, but not too much.
14:50Yeah, but not too much.
14:51And this is why we add the blazer, you know?
14:52Oh, see, you add the beautiful fashion, you know me.
14:55It's still classy.
14:56What does fashion mean to you in general?
14:58I feel like it's a part of expressing myself.
15:00I dress however I feel.
15:02If I feel like to come on here with a sweatsuit
15:04because I'm cold and I just want to be comfortable,
15:06then that's what you're going to see me in.
15:08It's just like music.
15:09Fashion to me is an expression, you know?
15:11Just put on what you want to put on and wear it to your best.
15:15You also might be passing a little bit of the fashion
15:17off to the son.
15:18Yeah.
15:19Heard you might have had him at a fashion show.
15:20Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
15:22So how is he with fashion?
15:23Do you like dressing him up?
15:24I do love dressing him up.
15:25And what I do with Rogero is I allow him to be free
15:29within his own sense of style.
15:31I will tell him that I don't like that fit
15:33and he's like, okay, I'm going to change it.
15:35Then he just chooses his own fit and be like,
15:37what you think about this one?
15:38Okay.
15:39There you go.
15:40Do you trust him?
15:41Do you let him go with whatever he decided to go with?
15:42Yeah, yeah, yeah.
15:43As long as he's not going to look too crazy.
15:45Depends, it depends on the occasion.
15:47I will let him be a kid sometimes
15:48and just throw on some rainbow stuff,
15:51but in other times I'm like, nah, that's not the vibes.
15:53Go change it.
15:53And he will do so.
15:54And he's really good at it too.
15:55I'm glad he is because even when I see kids
15:58in the store sometimes, I'm like,
15:59did the parent just say, you know what?
16:00I'm not doing this today.
16:02No, I don't play that with my child.
16:03Like I love when my child is put together.
16:06I think my child represents me as well
16:08and me as a parent.
16:10And it shows that I really care
16:11that I'm not going to let my kids step out the house
16:14any type of way.
16:15No, I take pride in that as a mom.
16:17And one of my favorite things we talked about last time
16:19was your cooking.
16:21So now I want to ask you, does he love your cooking?
16:23He does, he does.
16:24He used to not be a fan of it
16:27because he likes all that chicken nuggets and the fries.
16:29But-
16:30Kid stuff.
16:31Yes, but he's growing up now.
16:32He loves to cook as well.
16:33Hello guys, I'm going to be making breakfast for my mom.
16:36He will stand and watch me cook, or my auntie.
16:39And I did salmon the other day for him.
16:41He doesn't normally like anything with gravy or ketchup.
16:44He likes his food like dry.
16:45So I did cream salmon the other day that I posted
16:48and he ate everything.
16:50I'm like, even the gravy?
16:52Okay, I like that.
16:53You're growing up.
16:55He was like, that salmon is bomb.
16:58Oh my God, that's so cute.
16:59And what would you say is your favorite dish to prepare
17:02for at home with him or without him?
17:04Like what's the number one?
17:05I love any type of fish.
17:07Yeah, I love to prepare fish or seafood overall.
17:10And I know of course, obviously you have the Jamaican roots
17:12that are I'm sure inspiring your cooking,
17:14but what other, you know, I would say culinary
17:18countries or flavors do you like to bring into your dishes?
17:20I want to step more into the Asian cuisine.
17:23Okay.
17:24I've heard about this.
17:26Is it Korean barbecue?
17:27I need to try it.
17:29First of all, go over to Cape Town.
17:30Yeah, I'm yet to do so.
17:32Like I've heard too many good things
17:34about this Korean barbecue.
17:36I need to go and have a taste for myself.
17:39And then I just thought of something
17:40just because it's a current contemporary thing
17:43that's happening right now, the Marley movie.
17:45So what was your thoughts?
17:48My team just told me that it was a two hour
17:51and a half running movie.
17:52And I was like, was it?
17:53Because I was in the theater and I was like,
17:55why did this end so soon?
17:58It was such a great movie.
18:00I did not want it to end and I'm not joking.
18:02Like it made me feel like I really wanted to meet this man.
18:06And for him to, you know, pass away at 36 is just sad.
18:10Too sad.
18:11And do you feel like it represents Jamaica in a good way?
18:13Yes, yes it did.
18:14Because as soon as we heard him talk,
18:16we're like, okay, thank God.
18:17The accent is there.
18:19It doesn't sound fake.
18:22Yeah, because he's British, right?
18:23Yeah, and I must commend the actor
18:24because he actually made me feel like,
18:27nah, this is Bob, which is crazy.
18:29And it's no disrespect to Bob either.
18:31It's just like, he played the role so good.
18:34They couldn't have choose anyone better.
18:36And I mean, of course you've seen the film
18:37because you were involved in the Marley soundtrack.
18:40So how does that feel?
18:41âȘ Said I remember when we used to sing âȘ
18:45Oh my God, I feel so honored.
18:47You know how hard it is to get into something like that?
18:51You know, you know, Marleys are like the royalty
18:54of my country when it comes on to like music
18:56and just pioneers, you know?
18:59So I'm super grateful that they allowed me to be a part
19:02of this movement, a part of this historic movement.
19:05And how did you feel when they like assigned you a song
19:07and you had to like go in the studio and record it?
19:09Like what was that process like?
19:11You know, it's so weird
19:12that I didn't really think much about it.
19:14I just said, I'm going to have fun.
19:16You know, if this is for me, it's for me.
19:18There's no way I can mess it up.
19:19It's mine.
19:20However I choose to sing it, you know?
19:22Well, you said it's mine.
19:23I will say that Ziggy said, he was like,
19:25every artist that's on the soundtrack
19:27really made it their own.
19:28And that's what he loved about it.
19:29That they didn't just copy his dad.
19:31Oh yeah.
19:32He made it special.
19:33Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
19:34Like I didn't go in there with the intention
19:35to copy Bob at all.
19:36I was like, this is a great song
19:38and I want to sing it in my way
19:39and make people love it just the same.
19:41And then now that, you know,
19:43your second project's coming out,
19:45your fans are here.
19:45They're excited to hear you.
19:46What takeaway do you want to tell your fans
19:47as this new project's coming out?
19:49I just want them to be open-minded, you know?
19:51And be mindful that I'm an artist
19:54and I make music for everyone, you know?
19:56Not just myself.
19:58Not just one diaspora.
19:59I want everyone to enjoy my music.
20:01It's a very friendly album.
20:03There's something for everybody on it.
20:04So there's nothing to complain about.
20:08Well, I'm so excited.
20:09And thank you for coming out
20:10and hanging at the studio.
20:11Thank you for having me.
20:14Thank you.