Sean Kingston - Burning Up
It’s been two years since your hit self-titled debut album and worldwide hit, “Beautiful Girls”. Are you nervous about topping your last success?
Definitely, because I am coming off of a big album and it was my first. So, now I am thinking that I have to kill it again and had to decide what direction I wanted to go in. I worked with J.R. Rotem once again and also RedOne (Lady Gaga). I cut like 35 songs. Then I connected with Lil Wayne and Wyclef and others. It’s a crazy album. It’s way better than the first album.
Your new single, “Fire Burning”, is a platinum-selling, Hot 100 Top 5 smash. Were you surprised at its meteoric success?
I am not surprised that the record is a hit, but rather at the quick success of it. It shot up the charts so fast. Most songs are on the charts for over 17 weeks, but I sold a million singles in 10 weeks. I thank the fans for that.
What have you been doing since your last album?
I have been travelling the world doing shows and creating music.
How did your life change after the mega-watt success of your last album?
It changed tremendously and very fast too. I had a lot of hits on the first album and I went from being a regular kid in class to travelling the world. It’s been very crazy.
You are only 19 years old. What do your friends think about your accomplishments?
They are excited. [They all] know that this is what I have wanted to do all my life. I have been [performing] since I was 8 years old. Everyone understands that this is my time.
You are from Miami, but where do you live now?
I still live in Miami.
So, how is your new album (out Sept 22nd) different than your first?
It’s more mature. The concepts, the melodies and everything are strong. But, its still very Sean Kingston, however more musical than the first.
Are you aiming for a more mature audience this time around?
I am going to keep the fans I had before and grab some more. Some older, but not too older, because my music is still young.
Do you want to get into anything else besides music?
Right now, I just want to focus on music and get to where I need to be. I want people to say, ‘Sean Kingston is that dude!’ Once I have them saying that and I have solidified my name then I will go into something else. I like to focus on one thing at a time.
Your single has gone platinum, but are you worried at all about the decline of album sales and how that may affect the sales of your new album?
People aren’t buying records like they used to, but you also have to cater to your audience. Kids are buying records. My audience buys records. The parents may do a little research on the artists before they give their kids the money to buy music. Sean Kingston is clean-cut. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t curse in my music. Parents love me. A 45 year-old woman the other day in the airport told me she loved my music. I don’t get nervous about any of that.
Isoul H. Harris is an entertainment journalist, columnist, editor and citizen of the world. Follow him on Twitter: www.twitter.com/isoulharris