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Rihanna takes No. 3 for Billboard’s 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century, and we’re breaking down why the pop diva has earned her rank with her Hot 100 No. 1s, Billboard Music Awards and more! Which Rihanna song is your favorite? Let us know in the comments! Tetris Kelly: With 14 Billboard Hot […]
Before Hanumankind started making waves on the Billboard Hot 100 with his Kalmi-assisted “Big Dawgs” (No. 23), Jay Sean was making history for South Asian artists on Billboard’s marquee singles chart.
In 2009, Jay Sean (born Kamaljit Singh Jhooti) topped the Hot 100 with “Down,” his Lil Wayne-assisted debut single. The achievement helped Sean become the very first South Asian artist to top the Hot 100 and helped kick off a fruitful pop career that includes Hot 100 hits like “Do You Remember” (No. 10, with Sean Paul and Lil Jon), “2012” (No. 31, with Nicki Minaj) and “Hit the Lights” (No. 18, with Lil Wayne).
15 years later, Jay Sean is back with a new album and an exciting new venture that he detailed for Billboard staff writer Kyle Denis on the latest edition of Billboard News.
“First of all, I’m South Asian. A lot of people still don’t know that. When I came here from England, people were speaking to me in Spanish a lot because they thought I was Puerto Rican or Dominican — I had the shaved head then,” Sean quips. “[They didn’t realize I was] South Asian, and the first-ever South Asian in history to have had a No. 1 Billboard record.”
The genre-melding singer continues, “When I was coming up and telling people I wanted to do music, they were like ‘Are you stupid? Look around you bro, do you see anyone like you onstage with Justin Timberlake and Usher? There’s no brown dude.’ So, I took it upon myself to create a platform for brown people. We’re the largest demographic [on] planet Earth, why aren’t we taking the scene over? That’s why I set up 3AM, so I can provide that structure for us.”
Co-founded by Sean, The Heavy Group’s Jeremy Skaller and Range Media’s Jared Cotter, 3AM Entertainment aims to support artists from the South Asian diaspora as they work to break through global music markets. The record label will operate under Virginia Media, with big releases from both Sean and Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan already available.
Over the summer (June 28), the actress dropped “Shoes… More Shoes,” a campy novelty track produced by New York DJ Ellis Miah. Proceeds for the song were donated to two LGBTQIA+ charities: Not A Phase and the Trevor Project.
Sean has already launched two singles under 3AM previewing his forthcoming new album. “Heartless,” which features Punjabi hitmaker Ikky, is a guitar-inflected trap&B banger, while the Jai Dhir-featuring “Piche Piche” effortlessly blends Punjabi, Hindi and English into a smoldering R&B groove. The latter track also features a team of A-listers behind the scenes; it was co-written by two-time Grammy-nominated R&B maestro Eric Bellinger and co-produced by Sean Cook, one of the minds behind Shaboozey‘s historic smash “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Both “Heartless” and “Piche Piche” will appear on Last Call, Sean’s forthcoming new album, which is due in 2025.
“When I did songs like ‘Piche Piche’ and ‘Heartless,’ it was very easy for me to do that because I live and breathe that,” he explains. “I speak Punjabi, I can sing in Punjabi, I can also rap and sing in English, it’s all very natural to me. To work with Eric TKTK — who’s obviously such an OG in the game — I’ve got so much respect and love for him. It was just great to work with an R&B legend like that. And Sean Cook is my boy. The whole album is basically me and Sean.”
Although he’s putting out a major project of his own next year, Sean remains focused on uplifting and highlighting rising South Asian artists and making sure that the door he cracked ajar with “Down” remains open.
“I hope that I can look back and say all the years that I dreamt of this happening have finally come true,” he muses.
LISA has officially announced her highly anticipated solo debut album, Alter Ego, and we have all the details. Tetris Kelly:After weeks of teasing, LISA has officially announced her debut solo album is finally on the way. Fans have waited until the cryptic timer on Lisa’s website counted down to zero. The BLACKPINK star revealed her […]
Cardi B is ready to drop her sophomore album in 2025, reveal her businesses and more! Keep watching to see the singer talk about her new endeavors! Tetris Kelly:Cardi B teases a new album? Cardi B:Next year, my album will be out, my secret businesses will be out. Tetris Kelly:Rap superstar Cardi B took to […]
Jay Sean released “Down” 15 years ago, and the singer reflects on what it took for him to reach that level of success in the American market as a South Asian singer. He shares how he created “Piche Piche,” his aim for South Asian representation with his new label, 3AM, the spread and appreciation of Punjabi music, his new album in the works and more!
Kyle Denis: 2024 marks the 15 year anniversary of “Down.” Do you have a favorite memory or performance attached to the song?
Jay Sean:Man, first of all, that’s wild, isn’t it?
Crazy.
And it’s one of those songs that obviously it changed my life, but I think has been a part of a lot of my fans’ journey. It’s just like it’s ingrained in their cells at this point. And I think, you know, when I think back to the performances of that song, one of the most epic ones must have … it was probably Madison Square Garden, first time I did it. So I did, I did MSG two or three times, but the first time ever for a Brit from a small town in England called Hounslow, to be gracing that stage, it’s just wild. And then to have 20,000 New Yorkers sing back every word to you. You know, I mean, I think that was something that I’ll always remember.
Absolutely. You know, I remember listening and dancing to “Down” when I was a kid, and still doing that today, so, like, 15 years later, how do you assess the impact of such an iconic song?
I could delve deep here about …
Please do, please do!
But I think again, a song has the ability to take you back in time, you know exactly where you are. Bet you could remember where you were when you were listening to all of that.
Keep watching for more!
After finishing the U.S. Leg of their ‘Right Here World Tour,’ SEVENTEEN sits down to share their experience touring in the U.S., their favorite songs to play off ‘Spill the Feels,’ their SEVENTEEN THE CITY pop up in LA and more!
SEVENTEEN:
My runny nose is…
Tetris Kelly:
We love you Mingyu. SEVENTEEN just finished the US leg of their Right Here World Tour, and we’re taking you to the stadium and backstage to talk to them about taking over LA with SEVENTEEN THE CITY and more. You’re going there in Billboard All Access. All right, I’m hanging out backstage with my boys SEVENTEEN at their tour. How are you guys feeling tonight so far?
We had so much fun. Honestly, you weren’t expecting the stadium to be so big, because so many of our fans came when we performed. They loved our music. They were singing along. They were dancing. I mean, we had a great time. We had a blast.
I love it, stadiums in the States. And I mean, this is your first time being back in the states in two years. So what’s that like to see your fans after so long?
Two years ago, I caught COVID so I couldn’t take part in the LA concert at that time. It’s a relief that I can get on stage at this time, and it’s all the more meaningful that we get to perform at a stadium.
Yeah, well, we’re glad to have you back this time, and then of course what makes this show different than your past tours?
It’s been a while since we were here in the U.S., so it’s been wonderful to reconnect with our U.S. CARATs. Feeling their energy, I felt like I want to come back and meet them as often as possible. It’s a great honor to be able to perform at a U.S. stadium for the first time.
Yeah, well, we’re glad to have you but you gotta tell me, with it being so many members, how was it like before the show? Like, what are you guys doing? How is it wrangling everyone?
Keep watching for more!
FINNEAS shares his creative process for creating music for AppleTV+’s new show, Disclaimer, while simultaneously working on Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft. He discusses creating hits for Turning Red with Billie and more! FINNEAS: In the world where I do all these different things, where I, you know, make music under my own […]
Beyoncé is set for a halftime performance during the NFL’s Christmas Day game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens streaming on Netflix. Keep watching for more details! Tetris Kelly:Beyoncé is back on the field and it has the Hive shook. Your Christmas just got a lot more entertaining. Netflix just announced that Beyoncé herself […]
Camp Flog Gnaw was buzzing with energy this past weekend, and we’re taking you through the hottest moments. What was your favorite moment from Camp Flog Gnaw? Let us know in the comments below! Tetris Kelly:Over the weekend, Tyler, the Creator had Dodger Stadium rocking as he threw his annual Camp Flog Gnaw festival. Day […]
Gracie Abrams enters the Hot 100. Tetris Kelly:This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week, dated Nov. 23. Falling a spot to 10 is “Love Somebody,” “Beautiful Things” is down to nine, as is “Taste” to No. 8, and Post and Morgan to seven. Gracie Abrams is up from 13. “Lose Control” […]