Is Shenseea the next Rihanna?
One dancehall artist that has been enjoying the international spotlight in recent times, and deservedly so, is Shenseea. It is well known around the industry how much effort she puts into her career, and that hard work is definitely paying off.
You would have to look back at how she got her start in the industry, and it would be easy to recognize that her work ethic is what sets her apart from a lot of her colleagues in the genre right now. Not many can say they have the same story, soaring from promo girl to international deejay.
Even the man largely responsible for helping her transition into a successful career, Romeich Major, publicly praised her work ethics.
“This girl work Friday, Saturday fi Romeich entertainment and Sunday when mi call her, she’s tired but she’s on her way to Mandeville working for a next company. And then by 8 o’clock, she reach back in and a she yuh see wid the likkle yute gone go buy him ice cream. Dem something deh put a respect,” he’s quoted as saying on Instagram last year.
Most recently, she has the industry buzzing with an upcoming collab with American rap star Megan Thee Stallion called “Lick,” which is expected to drop this Friday, January 20.
Shenseea has also called on her label, Interscope Records, to drop her album after becoming the first female Jamaican artist to hit two million subscribers on YouTube.
All of these achievements are putting her in a new light and in the footsteps of some global stars like Rihanna. That’s how grammy-nominated producer Cristy Barber feels about the “Bad Alone” songstress.
She expressed the view to the Star as she suggested that she could be the next Rihanna that the music industry has long been longing for. Barber shared that ever since Rihanna came on the scene, many of the labels have been on a quest to discover the next Caribbean star. She’s confident that the artist could be Shenseea.
Shenseea, whose real name is Chinsea Lee, has been on a fast upward trajectory, and ever since tapping into the US music market, her influence is becoming even more pronounced. According to the producer, the first hint that she was going to dominate the airwaves came following her collaboration with rapper Tyga on the track “Blessed.” Since then, she’s gone on to work with one of the living legends in the game, Kanye West.
She also believes her approach to the music biz is smart, and this is what is setting her apart from the rest of the industry at this time.
“If the single [ Lick] is even half as successful as the single that Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B did [ WAP] it is a win for them for sure. And you can already tell … it’s got the name and it’s got the art look,” she added.
“WAP” dominated the charts in the US for much of 2020 and is still a popular track. It debuted back in August 2020, at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Barber also explained that her feelings stem from the fact that Shenseea is the full package. Her looks, image, and sound are a very potent mix for success, she continued. Barber is also expecting great things from Shenseea’s upcoming album. She even believes that someday soon, the “Good Comfort” singer will win a Grammy. She believes this moment could come if DONDA wins.
It’s certainly high praise coming from someone who has over three decades in the music business and who has worked on various dancehall and reggae projects with almost every major label, including VP Records, Columbia Records, and Elektra. Her one wish is that as Shenseea’s popularity continues to grow, she sticks to her authentic sound.
“Shenseea should keep what makes her unique and special. If there is a composition or a project where she has to change the composition of the flow, I am sure she is versatile enough to switch it up. Anything that is unique and different is like a breath of fresh air,” she added.
