/ A New Light

by Anokhi Admin

A New Light

Oct 17, 2013

R&B star Jay Sean is moving away from Indian fusion toward a more soulful sound, but that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten where he came from.

Jay Sean, a pioneer of the Indian-R&B fusion scene in the United Kingdom, rose to worldwide fame in 2008 when his debut single “Down” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 — the first and only single by a South Asian artist to top the chart. He has since raked in awards, including our very own Sexy & Successful 2011 and most recently, our Male Musical Artist of the Decade Prestige Award at our 10th Anniversary Awards and Gala.

He released his long-awaited fourth studio album, Neon, in late July 2013. The album — his first after a four-year break — brings Sean back to his soulful R&B roots.

“America got to know me for my fun party music,” he says. “I really wanted to take it back to the real soulful, meaningful music with substance that got my fans into me in the first place.”

Sean was born Kamaljeet Singh Jhooti in London, United Kingdom. He began his career by sharing his hip-hop and vocal mixtapes with friends and family. His big break came when one of his cassettes ended up in the hands of Bhangra producer Rishi Rich. Their first song together, “Dance with You,” was one of the first Indian fusion tracks, introducing something brand new to the U.K. music scene, Sean says.

While quite a few songs off Sean’s 2004 debut album, Me Against Myself, contain Indian and Bollywood elements, the singer later found that the fusion genre, which was becoming more and more common, wasn’t his true musical style.

“I think it started getting a bit gimmicky,” he says. “Every song had a tabla in it or some Indian song from a Bollywood film, and I was like, ‘I can’t do this, it’s not my music style.’ I don’t want to be known as a gimmick artist. I just want to be respected as a great songwriter and singer.”

Though his South Asian culture doesn’t have as much of an influence on his music as it used to, the Punjabi singer says his heritage has definitely affected how hard he tries. “Our forefathers, our grandfathers, they had to work so hard to make a living outside of India or wherever our origins were,” he says. “I think that’s always something that’s in me as well. I always work to the [best] of my abilities.”

The singer released his sophomore album, My Own Way, in 2008, followed by his first international album, All or Nothing, in 2009. He received honours from the UK Asian Music Awards, Urban Music Awards and Music of Black Origin Awards, as well as a Broadcast Music Inc. award for songwriting.

While he believes in setting higher, more outlandish goals for himself in life, when it comes to his music, Sean keeps things fairly simple. “I go in the studio with a clear mind, a clear heart, and whatever… that day comes out, comes out.”

Sean says he has always been fascinated by people with beautiful voices, like soul singers. His inspiration comes from the likes of Boyz II Men, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Brian McKnight, Glenn Lewis and Mary J. Blige, and the latter he’s actually collaborated with. “She told me she thought I had a beautiful voice and that was one of the most amazing compliments I’ve ever been given,” he says. “It’s a dream come true, a beautiful thing.”

The British singer-songwriter is now living in one of his favourite places in the world, New York City. He’s signed to Cash Money Records and has worked with Lil Wayne, Sean Paul, Nicki Minaj and Pitbull. Rick Ross and Busta Rhymes feature on his latest album.

Sean is resolved to stay true to his musical tastes. While his most recent records have included dance and electropop, he wanted Neon to showcase the R&B music he really loves. “I think that was the biggest challenge for me. I started writing an album and there were a bunch of dance records on it because all that is what was on the radio,” he says. “I’ve dabbled in it and I didn’t enjoy it. It wasn’t me and I had to do it because that’s what you have to do — you have to try. To survive in this game you have to adapt. But I have to do what I have to do. I have to listen to my fans and give them the music that they fell in love with.”

While he certainly enjoys bringing a song alive with his smooth voice, songwriting is a gift Sean says he’ll never take for granted, as it’s either something that’s in you or not. A believer in letting things be the way they’re meant to be, Sean says he finds inspiration for new lyrics and melodies in the funniest places and at the weirdest times. He says one of the latest songs he wrote, “Neon,” which his new album is named after, encapsulates his whole journey and songwriting process over the last few years.

“Neon is the brightest light in the whole world,” he says. “There is no light that shines brighter than that. That was an epiphany moment for me.”

BY DEEPIKA SHEWARAMANI