dancehall

Jamaican pop star Shenseea caught up with Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly to reflect on her journey from aspiring artist to Coachella stage commander.

During her set, Shenseea brought out “Players” rapper Coi Leray to perform a remix of the hit single alongside Dominican phenom, Tokischa. “Last year I came as a patron and now this year I’m performing,” Shenseea says. “I did not see it coming.”

The singer just released her latest single, “Curious,” which she hoped would serve to bridge the space between dancehall’s roots and its future. “I wanted to bring back a nostalgic feeling with the old school Dancehall and mix it with modern sound,” she explains. “A lot of people who know about the culture is like ‘Yo, we haven’t heard this sound in a long time,’ and that’s exactly what we were aiming for.”

The track’s steamy music video shows the 26-year-old in a number of attention-grabbing looks, as she drips in honey and grooves alongside a team of dancers. The YouTube video has already garnered 3.5 million views since its April 13 premiere.

Shenseea also released an impressive freestyle to Akon’s “Locked Up” earlier this month, shouting out her 7-year-old son with the memorable line, “Hard fi hold my tongue, sorry, I’m just a mom/ Tell di baby mother mi will go ah jail fi mi son.”

“When it comes down to my kid I don’t play,” she says. In 2022, Shenseea’s son walked the BBMA red carpet alongside mom, draped in a dapper gold and black suit and aviator sunglasses. The singer also teased new music alongside major features, adding to her long list of co-signers including Megan Thee Stallion, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and 21 Savage. “I believe in myself but seeing other people believe in me who are ahead of the game, It feels amazing.”

“I’ve been waiting on this moment for such a long time,” she says of her rise. “I just gotta give God thanks and try to relish the moment because it’s going by pretty fast.”