Maya Dufeu
The FADER staff are big fans of Sean Paul. His early singles are the soundtrack of peak adolescence. The dancers in his videos showed us how to flirt with our waists. His crossover moment in the early aughts represented the bridging of multiple places and identities, and his continued pursuit of radio gold is a testament to the melodic magic that made his first tracks so special.
It's 16 years since the release of his debut album, Stage One, and Sean Paul is still charting around the world through collaborations with everyone from soca don Machel Montano to pop factory Sia, and Nigerian singer Timaya to U.K. girl group Little Mix. That's a strange but brilliant resume, and one that only Sean Paul could pull off. At a time when we're waiting for West Indian artists to reap the benefits of yet another crossover moment for dancehall and soca, it feels fitting to take a moment and reflect on the success of the Jamaican dancehall star turned global pop icon.
From The Collection:
Sean Paul Week
