Shenseea Says Her Debut Album Is Done: Here’s What To Expect
Dancehall star Shenseea has revealed that her long-awaited debut studio album is finally done.
In an Instagram post yesterday, Shenseea, who was the most-streamed female Jamaican artist in 2020, blessed her 4.1 million fans with a series of glammed-up photos where she was rocking a two-piece crocheted ensemble courtesy of @mypasserella. “The Album is done, DONE! 🔒,” she wrote in the caption.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQwtuJGh8PW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The announcement has come void of any details such as the name of the project, a release date, or features, but here is everything we know and best guesses about what to expect from Shenseea’s new album.
What will the album sound like?
Shenseea has already dished that many sonic surprises await on the upcoming album. In an interview on Hot 97’s Ebro In The Morning last year, Shenseea told the host, “I’ve never released an album before, I wanna see how well it’s gonna do. I wanna see how people gravitate to the different kinds of music I’m putting on there,” to let us know she’d be exploring more sonic diversity.
Then in another interview last summer, on Timera Blair’s YouTube channel, the Good Comfort artist said the album would be a mix of different music genres. “It’s gonna be lit, I’m telling you. It’s going to have different, different vibes. It’s going to have an interracial mix,” she revealed.
The Blessed singer added that the album will feature some singing, a bit of rap, and of course Dancehall. “It’s just a mix of Shenseea and what I have to offer,” she explained, while also revealing that there will be a lot of features lined up for the album.
When Will It Be Released?
As of today, July 1, there’s no release date for Shenseea’s debut album.
She had told Hot 97’s Ebro In The Morning in November 2020 that “we’re hoping for March, I’m hoping for February because I just really wanna release this,” but it seems the album was pushed for good reason.
Shenseea then told E! News in February 2021, that “my album for sure is definitely this year. I’m not going to spoil anything so you’re just gonna have to wait and see, you’re gonna have to tune in coz I’m telling you it is gonna be fire.”
Our best guess for release would be August; on or before August 27, 2021.
However, some Dancehall fans are already speculating that Shenseea could upstage the Queen Of Dancehall by dropping her album close to July 30 — the same day that Spice is set to release her debut studio project, TEN .
Who’s On It?: There might be collabs with Drake, 21 Savage
In a 2020 interview with Ras Kwame at Capital XTRA, Shenseea revealed that since signing with Rvssian’s Rich Immigrants imprint at Interscope Records, several big international celebs had been reaching out to her. “Ever since we joined with Interscope and pushed out Blessed, a lot of international acts have been reaching out to me,” confessed Shenseea. “I’m talking about like the Drake, 21 Savage, Rihanna has been listening to my music, Cardi B, so it’s been going real good,” she said at the time.
Canadian rapper Drake is no stranger to Dancehall collaborations, as seen with his many tracks with his OVO signee, Popcaan. And while a musical teaming with the Lighter singer would send Jamaican fans insane, there is no official confirmation of the sort.
However, the Queen of Dancehall Spice slipped a little tea during an Instagram Live recently.
As the Watch My Life singer ranted about Shenseea’s manager Romeich Major, Spice blurted out on the Live that, “Unu [Shenseea’s team] do song with Jesus, unu do song with [21 savage], Unu have song ah come out wid Drake, unnu have all kinda ah sumn plan pon di album…” as if revealing some insider’s news about Shenseea’s upcoming LP.
Who’s on it?: Other collabs may include H.E.R., Lil TJay, Meek Mill, Moneybagg Yo, Buju Banton, Tanasha Donna
Here are more possible, but not confirmed features that could make the album.
H.E.R.
Back in February of this year, both Shenseea and American R&B songbird H.E.R. posted photos on Instagram while hanging in the music studio. Shenseea teased in a comment on the post that “We’ll soon let them know what it’s gon’ be! In the meantime, we doing our thing,” to suggest that the two could have a collab coming.
H.E.R. has since released a few tracks and her very own debut studio album Back Of My Mind on June 18, which featured a string of artists, namely Chris Brown, Ty Dolla Sign, Cordae, Lil Baby, Thundercat, Young Bleu, DJ Khaled, and YG ….yup, no Shenseea.
However, the R&B singer later hinted in April at an upcoming “Reggae EP” that would feature ‘a lot’ of Jamaican artists. So Shenseea and H.E.R.’s collab might be destined for either of their upcoming projects.
Lil TJay
Also, in February, New York rapper Lil TJay visited Jamaica and was spotted in the studio with Shenseea, on the same day that his hit single Calling My Phone peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Dancehall starlet revealed to her IG family at the time that the two met up and had been working on new music. She captioned a photo taken with the 19-year-old rapper, “All we do is work” and shared another in full studio mode with TJay and his crew.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLzYHvQBobr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Since then Lil TJay released his second studio album Destined 2 Win on April 2, with guest appearances from 6lack, Polo G, Fivio Foreign, Saweetie, Tyga, Toosii, Offset, and Moneybagg Yo …. AGAIN no Shenseea! So this suggests that whatever music he and the Bad Habit singer was working on in February may also be for her upcoming LP.
Meek Mill, Moneybagg Yo
Meek Mill and Moneybagg Yo are among other well-known rappers, she has shared studio time over the last year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPMO4I7Bydc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Buju Banton
A vaguely captioned photo with Buju Banton drew attention in May last year when Romeich commented, “Keep working mama kill them with success nothing cant stop u,” suggesting a collab with the Dancehall legend. Buju’s subsequently released Upside Down 2020 album did not feature Shenseea.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_3rb-rJNdz/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=726d4baf-2159-410d-aeec-0016ec5e3108
Tanasha Donna
Kenyan newspaper, The Standard, reported in September last year that Kenyan singer Tanasha Donna hinted at a collab with Shenseea, with a music video to be shot in the East African country. Tanasha is mostly known for a number of hits in her home country and Tanzania, including Liar and La Vie.
Who’s making the beats
We know for a fact that Shenseea has recently worked with Canadian and American producers Murda Beatz and London on da Track, in what was apparently the last leg of compiling her new album.
Murda Beatz, who has produced tracks for huge stars like Nicki Minaj, Migos, Cardi B, Drake, Trey Songz, and many others, was just this week laying down some beats with the ShengYeng princess in the studio. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Beatz shared three photos from the studio session with Shenseea and wrote: “Wait Till They Hear This 😈 @shenseea.”
Likewise, London, who has produced music for top stars like French Montana, Drake, Rich Gang, Young Thug, and Saweetie to name a few, was also spotted in the studio with the Dancehall starlet days prior, clearly adding the final touches to her album.
It’s expected too, that with the long-standing success she has had with Head Concussion and Rich Immigrants music exec/producer, Rvssian to whose label Shenseea is currently signed, he will likely be producing some of the songs on the debut LP. Many will know he’s the man behind some of Shen’s biggest crossover hits, like Blessed with Tyga, IDKW featuring Young Thug and Swae Lee, Hard Drive with Konshens, and Foreplay.
A tribute to mom
It appears the Dancehall princess may have included a song dedicated to her late mother in the new album. Today, she expressed deep regret that her mother wouldn’t be able to hear one of her latest (unreleased) tracks. She wrote on her IG Stories, “Made f—king hit today and the only thing I can say about it is “I wish my mom could’ve heard it.”
Last week on June 25, marked the one-year anniversary of her mother, Castilyn Eleanor Williams’ death. Shenseea posted a throwback photo of them both and wrote, “Wish we had more time 💔.”
