Jay Sean Interview
Jay Sean is ten years in the game. Having scored a number of top hits in the UK, reached record sales of four million and a number one single in America, Jay talks about how he’s changed in his ten-year career, and about his new album, Neon.
Your last album All or Nothing was released in 2009. Why has it taken so long for you to release Neon?
“I had a legal issue with some people before I got signed to Cash Money who prevented me from putting out music for a year and a half.
“Back in the day, we could wait for a Mariah Carey album three, four years. We’ve been waiting for Eminem’s new album for about three, four years. and Dr. Dre’s taken 10 to 15. With each artist it varies.”
How would you describe your sound on this album?
“It’s R&B. It’s more soulful. There are party tracks on it, but they’re not dance/party/club throw your hands in the air tracks. It’s more urban dance, like the R&B dance tracks for the clubs. For example, the one with Busta Rhymes and Ace Hood are both club tracks but a bit more heavy on the urban side.
“On the whole, the majority of the album is just feel-good.”
What/where did you get inspiration from when creating ‘Neon?
“I put the words hit and smash out my head. Those two words are used way too much in the creative part of music, songwriters and producers can vouch for this.
“We used those words too much, and we shouldn’t use it until it’s an actual hit or a smash. It’s OK to put your positive energy out there, it’s OK being proud of your work but had to put that pressure out my head.
“I could write one when I leave this room on my way back home and don’t even know it because it comes at the most random times. You have to listen when it feels good, when it feels right, music is not a science.
“When I wrote this album, I put all of that pressure away from me, I didn’t think about it, I didn’t care, I wrote music that felt good to me, that moved us, that when I play it with my people in a room or I go home and play it for my friends, they f**k with it, and that’s the most important thing.”
Who are your musical influences?
I grew up on the best of them, in a great era, my aunts and my parents used to listen to Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Donnie Hathaway, all these great singers and vocalist.
“For me, I grew up really being impressed by vocals more than anything else.
“I listened to a bunch of different things though, even though it was primarily R&B and Hip Hop music, I still loved different stuff.
“I’d listen to Guns n Roses, Coldplay, Keen, all these bands who would emote in a different way too. Primarily though, vocalist is whom I look up to.”
You had a number one record on the US Billboard charts, has that added any extra pressure for this album?
“Yeah, there is a pressure but pressure seems to have a negative connotation in the world and I don’t look at it like that.
“Pressure makes me motivated. It’s what athletes need in order to win a game and what I need to put on my best performance and make my adrenalin flow before I go on stage. So pressure is what I need to do this album.”
Who would you next like to collaborate with?
“Next would be Jay Z. For me, he’s the ultimate. I look at him as an idol in many ways because he’s been in the industry coming up to 20 years now and he’s remained on top of his game.
“He’s still the man and the reason he’s still the man is he doesn’t conform to what anyone is doing. Some are just born to be that brilliant and stay for that long and that’s why I look up to the man.”
Your pic from the album?
“Mars! For sure is probably one of the songs I’m most proud of, we were just in the studio having fun, listening to some great old school R&B records. We were like man, this sh*t feels so good, let’s do something like that.
“Where are those joints, like back in the day when I wanted to make a mixtape for my girlfriend?…so I was like, let’s make one of those songs and that’s how ‘Mars’ came about.”
Jay Sean’s album NEON is out now
