Tag: Shenseea

Shenseea – “Never Gets Late Here” review

This is the sophomore effort from Jamaican singer/songwriter & deejay Shenseea. Putting out a handful of singles since 2015 like the Vybz Kartel-assisted “Loodi” or “Run Run”, she then signed to Interscope Records prior to the pandemic & got her biggest push yet after appearing on the “Ok Ok” remix off Ye or the Nazi formerly known as Kanye West’s final Def Jam album DONDA. Her debut album Alpha further solidified Shenyeng as dancehall’s most exciting new artist & had a feeling Never Gets Late Here was going to improve on the departments in which Alpha lacked.

“Face Lift” starts by signing over a cloudy trap beat from London on da Track & FNZ about continuing to keep going wherever life leads her whereas “Hit & Run” featuring Masicka goes straight dancehall explaining that you couldn’t get them to settle down. “Tap Out” brings a hypnotic groove to the table instrumentally trying to find out how long you can last with her, but then “Neva Neva” goes for a pop reggae vibe refusing to say never & not wanting to feel any pressure.

Meanwhile on “Die for You”, we have Shenyeng returning to the dancehall sound talking about dying for her lover just before “Keep a Place” brings a traditional reggae flare thanks to Supah Mario hoping her exes’ memories of her aren’t fading. “Dolla” once again turns back into bashment turf explaining that money is better than sex itself prior to “Loyalty” talking about her new man being a real O.G. atmospherically stripping down roots reggae with an increased emphasis on pure rhythm.

Coi Leray pops up for the funky “Flava” so both of them can talk spicy while “NaNa” takes the anthemic route aesthetically singing about someone waiting all his life for her & shining like the summertime every single day of the year. “Red Flag” featuring Anitta is this dancehall/Latin pop crossover explaining that men who don’t have it being a turnoff for them while “Stars” passionately encourages to leave them in the sky.

As the conclusion of Never Gets Late Here gets closer, the penultimate track “Heaven on Earth” asks where her paradise is over a warm trap instrumental that is until “Work Me Out” featuring Wizkid officially ties up the LP mixing dancehall with afrobeats talking about only being here for 1 night only getting 1 invite to give sexercise & burn them out.

Couple years after we get a proper introduction to Shenseea, she’s celebrating summer early following it up with a vibrant fusion of rhythms & genres showcasing distinctive style further demonstrating her songwriting prowess & knack for crafting infectious melodies that result in a truly unique musical experience.

Score: 3.5/5

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Shenseea – “Alpha” review

Shenseea is a 25 year old singer/songwriter & DJ from Kingston, Jamaica who’s dropped a handful of singles since 2015 like the Vybz Kartel-assisted “Loodi” or “Run Run”. She then signed to Interscope Records prior to the pandemic, but got her biggest push yet after appearing on the “Ok Ok” remix off Kanye West’s final Def Jam album DONDA this past summer. So given that, it was only a matter of time until she’d strike while the iron’s hot & drop a full-length debut.

“Target” with Tyga starts off the album with a decent ballad accompanied by a blissful atmosphere talking about doing right by one another whereas “Can’t Anymore” is a much more peppier follow-up wanting to get nasty. “Deserve It” goes into a more dancehall direction fantasizing over the perfect guy leading into 21 Savage tagging along for “R U That?”, which is a fresh fusion of contemporary R&B & trap outlining what kind of relationships they want.

Meanwhile on “Lick”, we have Megan Thee Stallion coming into the picture for a more refined version of “W.A.P. (Wet Ass Pussy)” down to the Murda Beatz instrumental just before the Offset-assisted “Bouncy” reveals itself to be a playful ass-shaking anthem. “Henkel Glue” returns to dancehall turf as Shenseea goes back & forth with Bernie Man talking about how this isn’t any kind of regular love, but then “Lying If I Call It Love” is a reggae-tinged slow jam detailing not being in love with her partner (played by Sean Paul) even though the sex is great.

“Hangover” comes through with an airy trap ballad advising how much it’s gonna hurt when she breaks up with her man while “Body Count” spaciously advises her new lover not to worry about such. “Egocentric” melodically advises how much your ego can damage you fighting for money like 16-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion John Cena while “Shen Ex Anthem” pretty much speaks for itself over a pillowy beat. The penultimate track “Sun Comes Up” reveals itself to be an empowering anthem about rising up & to end the album, Tyga returns for the endearing “Blessed” addressing their gratitude for where they are today.

For a commercial debut, I think Alpha further cements Shenseea as the most exciting new face in the dancehall scene. She still stays true to her roots, but I also think it’s fun the way she tries to incorporate elements of hip hop & pop into her music.

Score: 3.5/5