Described as ‘radical and disruptive’, Shenseea has conquered Jamaica’s dancehall scene – and now she’s coming for the rest of the world
Shenseea is midway through a European tour, staying in a budget hotel at the side of a dual carriageway in London. Despite her surroundings, she exudes A-list energy. In the lift, the Jamaica-born 23-year-old checks her face in the mirror and shares her goal: to become an international star. How big are we talking? “Rihanna levels,” she shoots back, from behind large, studded shades. “And I’m on my way.”
It is a reasonable goal for a woman who grew up watching a fellow island girl dominate pop
music across the globe. And it is tantalisingly close. Last year, Shenseea signed to Interscope, a major US label. Within months, she had a global hit with Blessed, a tune that hit a sweet spot somewhere between dancehall, Latin trap and bass-heavy club pop: it has had 36m
YouTube views.