100 for four weeks, "Beautiful Girls" paved the way for a second Hot 100 top 10, "Take You There" (No. 7); a gold-certified album ("Sean Kingston"); and an avalanche of digital song sales.
Fast-forward to summer 2009: Now the 19-year-old singer-songwriter is poised to repeat history as he prepares for the September 22 release of his second set, "Tomorrow" (Beluga Heights/Epic).
Kingston's 8.1 million digital sales total includes "Beautiful Girls" (1.9 million), "Take You There" (1.7 million), "Me Love" (960,000), his featured role on Natasha Bedingfield's "Love Like This" (1.4 million) and "Fire Burning" (1.6 million). That last song, the club-banging first single from "Tomorrow," peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100. But the second single, "Face Drop," is picking up the chart baton.
In order to get new fans engaged with Kingston's music and build awareness for his pending album, Epic kicked off its marketing strategy in June, when the singer performed "Fire" on the Fox show "So You Think You Can Dance." He performed the song again August 10 on the Teen Choice Awards telecast on the same channel. That appearance also introduced Kingston's animated alter-ego, lil Sean, whose visage appears on the cover of the new CD and plays an important part in Epic's interactive 3-D campaign. That campaign also involves a Web site that displays 3-D images if viewed with glasses included in the CD package.
But Kingston will also pursue more traditional promotion, including a Labor Day (September 7) appearance on "Today" and his first headlining tour of the United States and Canada, kicking off September 15 in Canada and going through the first week in November.
"Tomorrow" features production by J.R. Rotem (who produced Kingston's first album), RedOne and Wyclef Jean, among others, and also sports cameos by Jean and Good Charlotte. Like its predecessor, "Tomorrow" expands on Kingston's self-styled "hip-pop" sound, his merging of reggae with hip-hop, R&B, rock, pop, electro and other genres.
It's a talent Kingston comes by naturally. He is the grandson of legendary Jamaican producer Jack Ruby (who worked with Bob Marley) and the nephew of reggae artist Buju Banton. While dealing with the trauma of watching his mother and sister get sent to prison for tax evasion and mortgage fraud (both are now out), the then-15-year-old Kingston sought refuge in music and MySpace. Familiar with Rotem's work, he friended him on MySpace and began sending daily e-mails with his music. Kingston's persistence paid off: He eventually signed to Rotem's Beluga Heights label after moving to Los Angeles to live with his brother.
"I was going to get into the music business one way or the other," Kingston says with a laugh. "Even if it meant going to every record label and sleeping outside with a demo tape."
Billboard: You've said "Tomorrow" reflects your growth as an artist. How does "Face Drop" fit into that?
Sean Kingston: Like "Fire," it fits into the album's overall uptempo vibe. But "Face Drop" is one of the most personal songs on the album. Growing up as a chubby kid, I've seen how girls tend to look at chubby guys. They're quick to judge them by their outer selves: "He's not my type because he's overweight." They don't give us a shot. But at the end of the day, you don't know if I'm not your type because you didn't give yourself a chance to know me. So "Face Drop" is for the overweight guys who have been shot down and counted out. I've been in that situation, and I've always wanted to write a song about that.
Billboard: So maybe you're the new Heavy D -- the "Overweight Lover" for the 21st century?
Kingston: I'm not mad at that! (laughs) Heavy D is Jamaican, and I'm Jamaican. He's a great performer and that's what I'm working toward onstage. Plus he's a friend.
Billboard: Have you ever encountered image issues in the industry?
Kingston: No, I haven't. That's why I respect Epic to the fullest. There's never been a situation where someone has said, "You have to lose 25 pounds before doing this video." At the end of the day, people like Sean Kingston for being Sean. I want people to say, "OK, if he can do it, I can do it, too." I don't want people thinking this industry is just full of skinny people, that you have to have a six-pack.
Billboard: How do you go about writing songs?
Kingston: I'm going to keep it real. (laughs) I have a T-Mobile Sidekick that I don't even use as a cell phone anymore -- I just write songs with it. On the plane, tour bus, everywhere I go, I write songs on my Sidekick. It's so dope -- it has a recorder and notepad where I can lay down my ideas and melodies. I can write a whole song, but I'm also big on doing hooks. That's one of the most important parts of a song.
Billboard: What inspired you to co-write and record with Good Charlotte?
Kingston: As a songwriter, you need to listen to all types of music to get ideas. On my iPod right now, you can hear Daughtry, Miley Cyrus, All-American Rejects, Green Day, Wyclef Jean, Jay-Z, Nas and Good Charlotte.
For instance, I'm a huge fan of the Lady Gaga sound, so I looked up RedOne (who produced some of her hits). He brings this whole electronic synth and dance vibe. I go to the clubs in Miami and I see what's working there.
In the case of Good Charlotte, not only does the group write all its own music, but when you listen to its songs, they have catchy melodies and good beats. I'm a huge melody person. (Madden twins) Benji and Joel just have this thing about them; they're so versatile. So I thought it would be fun to work with them.
I flew out to Los Angeles and we knocked out five tracks. But "Shoulda Let U Go," merging reggae and rock, stood out the most. I think people will go crazy when they hear it. It fits in with my own distinctive style of music, which I call "hip-pop." I blend reggae with rap, R&B, pop, rock, electro, doo-wop, everything.
Billboard: How will "Tomorrow" take your career to the next level?
Kingston: People are coming with good music now and making albums. Jay-Z makes albums. Beyonce makes albums. And that's what Sean Kingston wants to be known for: making albums. I don't only want to be known as a guy with a couple of hit songs on the radio and no one buys his albums. It has to be about the album; that's when you become an artist like Jay-Z. "Tomorrow" shows I can make a solid album. People can listen to it from top to bottom.
Billboard: You come from a family with a rich musical legacy. What have you learned from them?
Kingston: My grandfather taught me that you have to be different. You have to be yourself. I learned that lesson early: original always works. Buju has taught me many things about songwriting and melodies. When I go back to Jamaica, he wants to go into the studio with me. It's not about an album right now. We just want to record and see where it goes. But I definitely want to do something with my uncle. I think it could be huge.
Billboard: Given the legacy of Bob Marley and others, why hasn't reggae become more popular in the United States?
Kingston: Bob Marley was one of a kind. He was my grandfather's righthand man. Bob had something special ... and I'm not saying a lot of reggae people now don't have that. But they don't know how to cross it over. Reggae music people want to hear feel-good stuff, and I don't feel like that's coming out of Jamaica right now. They need to bring it back to feel-good music.
There's a reggae artist I'm listening to now who I feel could be huge. Jah Cure is from Jamaica. He plays guitar, has a distinctive voice; his songs are great, as is his live show. He's really blowing up down there, so I think he'll be the next one to cross over.
Billboard: What advice do you have for newcomers?
Kingston: Growing up, I was like, "Man, why is it taking so long?" But at the end of the day, persistence is the key. Then you have to be original with your own sound. You don't need to be a new rapper sounding like Lil Wayne when we already have a Lil Wayne. You have to have your own lane. After that, you've got to be humble and focused.
When I was coming up, I'd go to school, do my homework and write a song. And the next day I'd go to school, do my homework and write a song. I did that every single day until it became a cycle. I'd also put a remote (control) in my hand and pretend I was performing onstage. I had a little machine on which I'd record the instrumentals I downloaded off the Internet. Then I'd sing and rap over them. Every day. Because practice makes perfect.
(Editing by SheriLinden at Reuters)
(please visit our entertainment blog via www.reuters.com or on http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)
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