How “First on SoundCloud” artist Shenseea turned internet buzz into international acclaim
A few weeks ago we introduced you to Austin’s indie darling, Christelle Bofale, who credits her success to her tight knit community. This week, we’re turning the spotlight on Shenseea, an artist whose network also helped bolster her success. Read on to learn how she did things a bit differently – and digitally.
Shenseea’s story begins in Mandeville, Jamaica where she was born Chinsea Lee. Her parents left the picture early, so she was raised by an aunt who relocated her to Kingston. She grew up in the church and learned how to harmonize at Sunday Services. There she realized she didn’t love having her voice blend in with the rest. She was meant to stand out.
Though Shenseea continued to sing, it wasn’t until she became pregnant with her son and took a leave of absence from college that she was able to find her musical footing. After posting cover videos of her favorite artists and receiving a warm reception, she was encouraged to drop her own single “Jiggle Jiggle” – a song she wrote soon after becoming a mom. In just one week the song was setting Jamaica’s airwaves ablaze.
She kept the hype alive with a remix of dancehall legend Vybz Kartel’s “Loodi” and started to leverage the power of the internet to ignite her success.
“I’ve used social media to push my career to where I am now. So when I put out a new track, I put it on SoundCloud. And I feel so blessed to know that I’ve gotten here in such a short space of time.”
Since then Shenseea has signed a deal with Interscope Records, racked up millions of plays on SoundCloud, toured the world, and collaborated with a roster of hitmakers from Tyga and Young Thug to Sean Paul and Calum Scott.
More of what’s next
In two weeks, we’ll be introducing you to another “First on SoundCloud” rising star. Next up, is a London-based electronic musician, whose music is just as welcome at Fashion Week as it is in the club.
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