Summer is fast approaching and dance princess Shenseea is here to deliver the soundtrack to the hottest months of 2024. In anticipation of the release of her second studio album, It's never late here (released May 24), Shensee stopped by Billboard News to reflect on how she's approached collaborating with other artists throughout her career.
“It helps me get over my nerves,” she muses. “I feel artists [are] easily intimidated by the success of others. Don't be mean, not like that vibe, more like, 'Wow, that's the pressure you have to have when someone who's so successful in the industry [is here.] What do I bring to the table?''
Alpha, Shenseea's debut studio LP, boasted collaborations with a number of chart-topping artists, including 21 Savage, Beenie Man, Megan Thee Stallion, Offset, Sean Paul and Tyga. This set reached No. 2 on Top Reggae Albums and No. 3 on Heatseekers Albums. Before Alphathe Jamaican powerhouse began its crossover efforts by dropping assists to American artists such as Masego, Christina Aguilera and Kanye “Ye” West.
“You'll never know until you do,” he says. “Doing it over time and being challenged again and again and just trying to be myself helps that there's nothing I can't take on.”
Later, in her chat with Billboard News — which also touched on the making of her new LP, how she learned to harmonize and some of her earliest musical memories — Shensee explained her career-changing relationship with Ye. The two artists joined forces with Roddy Ricch on “Pure Souls,” a track from the “All of the Lights” rapper's Billboard 200 hit. Doda album, which earned all three artists nominations for album of the Year at the 2022 Grammys.
“One of the moments I knew things changed was when I did the collaboration with Kanye,” Shensea gushes. “I felt like that opened a whole different kind of door – fashion, hip-hop, different artists just reaching out. I think Kanye is cool, as artistic as he is, such a nice person. Always fun. I feel connected to him, he has led me to many open doors.”
Ahead of its full release later this month, Shenseea has delivered a few flavors It's never late here. On Tuesday (April 30), he unveiled the LP's full tracklist, revealing upcoming collaborations with Coi Leray, Anitta and Wizkid. The set's lead single, “Hit & Run” (featuring Masicka and Di Genius), has garnered nearly 40 million views on YouTube for its official music video.
Watch Shenseea's full interview with Billboard News above.
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