‘Beautiful Girls’ – your debut single was a huge Summer anthem, with it, you became the first artist born in the 1990s to top the Billboard Hot 100. The track sampled the bassline from Ben E. King’s classic ‘Stand By Me’ and is about a boy who is suicidal over the failure of his relationship with a “beautiful girl”. It caused some real stir in places…
“For sure. There were some radio stations out there who censored the track, replacing the word ‘suicidal’ with ‘in denial’. On MTV they just blanked the word out completely with no replacement. Crazy.”
So what you been doing these past two years?
“I’ve been busy you know, been doing a lot of shows around the world with people like Chris Brown, Kelly Clarkson, Beyonce and Gwen Stefani. It has taught me a lot.”
So a new album coming out called ‘Tomorrow’, what can we expect?
“It’s strong man. Because I have been doing so much writing recently that side of things has got a lot of better and my voice has improved too. It’s a completely different record from the first and there are some great tracks on there. I always wanted to work with Good Charlotte for instance and also Wyclef who in my eyes is a legend. The Good Charlotte track is more reggae/rock pop and the Wyclef tune a real smooth, club record. You have to remember that I was only 17 when I was propelled into the music industry and I was like ‘I want to be on TV, I want a car, I want to buy a chain’ – I’ve grown up a lot since then and so has my music.”
Sean, born in Miami, USA – how did the the music of Reggae influence take over your life as a kid – what were your favourite artists in music genre growing up?
“I was born into a very good environment – music such as Marley and The Whalers drifting through the rooms of my house as I grew up…”
How do you think the phenomenal success of ‘Beautiful Girls’ has affected your career?
“My life has been crazy, so crazy since the record. It has taken me to places I have never thought I would have ever seen. It has taken me to another level.”
American has some pivotal and real influential cities in dance music – New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit etc, but from a UK point of view, your home city Miami is kinda different…
“Yeah, it doesn’t have a real base for music at all. We have a huge Salsa scene down there, there are the clubs of course and obviously The Winter Music Conference, but no history.”
A big tour rolling out…
“Yeah, we’re rolling the ‘Sean Kingston Tomorrow’ tour out in September, hitting the whole of the US and then take it worldwide. I love performing live, I love seeing the fans singing my songs, putting their hands in the air.”
You have hit number one in ten countries – which countries do love you the most?
“Oh wow. It’s basically wherever anyone respects my show. The UK and Ireland just rock though.”
What are your thoughts on the death of Michael Jackson?
“A terrible loss. He was an icon for me, a major loss in my life. I just don’t think it’s true – even today. I want to make him feel so proud of me. I was sitting in my office in New York when I heard and I just thought – this cannot be true. It really hit me.”
What makes a ‘Beautiful Girl’?
“She has to have the best personality and be a humble person. That’s all it takes.”
Sean Kingston’s new single ‘Fire Burning’ is out now…