Sean Paul
Mad Love
(Universal-Island Records Ltd)

I’m not one to give titles to artists but if I could give a title to this particular man it would be “The Prince of Dancehall.” Sean Paul has had us all dancing for over a decade now. He was born into a Family of great Swimmers and was one himself from 13-21 until deciding to pursue a musical career.

Sean Paul was discovered by manager and producer, Jeremy Harding. After frequent trips to the studio they created “Infiltrate,” which gave birth to his dancehall career. His first album Stage One was released in 1998 followed by 2002’s Dutty Rock, the breakout album that I believe solidified Sean Paul’s career. If you were in tune with the culture, “Gimmie the Light” and “Get Busy” were two of the biggest records that year and still get plenty of spins at dancehall parties worldwide.

He then went on to release Trinity, which I didn’t get a chance to hear but am confident consisted of a few hits as well. Here we are at his latest release, Mad Love. The album doesn’t disappoint.  Sean Paul has a very special talent for making dancehall universal. He chooses infectious melodies with creative concepts that also keep you dancing and trying to learn the words. He has a tone that draws you in and keeps you listening. ” Jet Plane Trip” featuring Stefflon Don is a sexy song and her voice compliments the track perfectly. I would love to see them work together again. Sean has some unexpected features that work so well.

“Naked Truth” featuring Jhene Aiko, I love it! Jhene does what she does so smoothly on the hook and Sean breaks through with the dancehall vibes that make it a hit.  Another great feature is “No Lie’ featuring Dua Lipa. This song is a perfect example of what I previously mentioned, Sean Paul’s way of marrying pop music and dancehall without losing the integrity of the dancehall culture. It’s truly a skill to always find a balance when fusing music genres. I was very entertained by the album and am still listening as I type this in real time. “Its gonna be lit tonight. No lie.”