Why Sean Paul Is ‘Dying to Hear’ Rihanna’s Dancehall Album
Iconic Jamaican singer Sean Paul has been in the music industry for years. Popular singles like “Get Busy” cemented his status as a household name and after a brief hiatus from the business, he’s back in the spotlight with new music and new performances.
After rising to the top of the charts again with hugely successful collaborations with artists like Sia and Dua Lipa, Paul is ready for the next phase in his career. Recently, Paul opened up about his love of other artist’s music, and the one album that he is absolutely “dying” to hear.
Who is Sean Paul?
Born in 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica, Paul was raised in a large, multicultural family. Paul was athletic as a child and got involved in competitive swimming, joining a water polo team when he was thirteen years old. In fact, Paul played for the national water polo team for years and considered it as a career prior to getting involved in the music business.
Paul’s singing career was launched when he attended an open mic night in one of his local neighborhoods. He was spotted by music producers, who liked his sound and the effortless way he performed in front of an audience.
Paul started working with a record producer, and in 2000, he released his debut album, Stage One. Paul quickly became a popular star throughout the world, after achieving success in his home country of Jamaica.
All throughout the early 2000s, Paul toured and performed in front of audiences everywhere, and his songs “Get Busy,” “Hold My Hand,” and “Temperature” became dancehall standards. In fact, it is hard to find anyone who hasn’t performed his songs at karaoke night, wedding receptions, and countless other celebrations.
Rihanna’s lengthy hiatus from music
Barbadian beauty Rihanna first rose to fame in the early 2000s, with the release of her album Good Girl Gone Bad. Her sound was a unique blend of R&B, dance, pop, and blues, and audiences couldn’t wait to hear what she would produce next.
Rihanna was one of the most prolific artists of the decade, regularly releasing new music and collaborating with major artists like Drake, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, and Eminem.
In recent years, Rihanna has taken a step back from the music world in order to focus on her many businesses. She’s certainly been successful — her cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty, has become a smashing success with women of all ages all around the world and has won numerous beauty awards. In addition, Rihanna has worked on curating a line of lingerie and a specialty fashion brand.
Still, fans have been longing for new music. In late 2019, Rihanna began teasing the idea of a brand-new album, which could be released sometime in 2020.
Sean Paul can’t wait for new music from Rihanna
Not much is known about Rihanna’s new album, which she has dubbed “R9.” A lot has happened in her life over the past four years, and it is likely that fans will get to enjoy a more mature sound, along with the signature beats that made her music so popular. However, she has teased that the new album will be a “dancehall” type album, which has some fans seriously excited.
One of these fans is Sean Paul. Recently, he discussed how fans know and recognize him as a dancehall icon, and while he admitted that many artists don’t give dancehall music the treatment it deserves, there is one glaring exception.
“The person that I feel has done it the best way, and I’m dying to hear this album, is Rihanna,” Paul stated. “‘Cause she says, ‘I’m doing a dancehall album.'”
No doubt Paul will be one of the first people in the virtual queue to download Rihanna’s much-anticipated new album — when it finally drops.
