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August 6, 2009
Sean Kingston keeps 'Fire Burning'
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Sean Kingston was talking about his hit song "Fire Burning" when his cell phone
suddenly started to ring. The device blasted a familiar tune.
She's fire burning, fire burning on the dance floor.
Wait a minute. His own song is his ringtone?
"I've got to support it, man," said Kingston, 19, with a cheeky smile. "It goes right back in my pocket, but
hey."
There had better be plenty of room in those pockets. "Fire Burning" is shaping up to be one of the summer's
hottest tracks, with more than a million downloads sold, and is the second best-selling song on iTunes this
week. For mainstream radio listeners and nightclub goers, the reggae-trance track is inescapable.
Even for Kingston.
"Three days ago I was in an elevator," he said. "A lady came in and she had her iPod and she was playing
my song. She didn't know who she was standing next to. That was kind of funny."
But hearing his music in public doesn't mean he's allowed to get too cocky, he said.
"It actually motivates me to make even more music, because that's kind of big. Coming from where I'm from
-- coming from nothing -- it's just amazing to hear people react to my music like they do."
The Miami-born artist, whose real name is Kisean Anderson -- he changed his name to Kingston to reflect
his Jamaican heritage -- got a taste for the big time in 2007 when his debut song "Beautiful Girls" became a
No. 1 hit in the United States.
His sophomore album, called "Tomorrow," comes out September 22. Kingston just wrapped filming in Los
Angeles for the music video for its second single, "Face Drop."
Kingston dropped by CNN to share his thoughts on his abilities on the dance floor and the leading ladies of
pop. The following is an edited version of the interview.
CNN: How much time do you actually spend on the dance floor?
Sean Kingston: I spend a lot of time on the dance floor, [though] ... I'm more the type of dude to sit back
and pose and act cool. But I had to make a song for it because there's a lot of stuff that's going on in the
world today ... people want to dance. People want to let loose and "Fire Burning" is a song that you can do
that to.
CNN: You were born in Miami. You grew up in Kingston. Then you moved to L.A. Where do you feel most at
home?
Sean Kingston: I feel really at home, I can't even lie, in Miami. Because it's just like I know a lot of people,
my friends that are there. That's where I started doing music when I was in Miami.
CNN: Why call your sophomore album "Tomorrow"?
Kingston: Because I feel like it's so futuristic. I felt like my last album was yesterday. Nobody's going to be
able to expect what Sean Kingston is bringing on this new album.
CNN: The first track that came off the new album was a collaboration with Lil' Wayne. It didn't take off like
your previous hits. Why do you think that is?
Kingston: We never sent it to radio. That record got leaked. It got leaked from the Internet and we just kept
it going. But it never really got that push from the label.
But I mean it did good. I mean 4 million plays on YouTube, 3 million on MySpace. Sometimes you've got to
give free music to get people to pay attention and to build a buzz. So I basically gave my fans free music.
CNN: You collaborate with punk-pop band Good Charlotte on the album.
Kingston: Yeah. Benji and Joel [Madden], man! Those guys are hilarious. They're talented and geniuses. ...
The whole "Tomorrow" album ... it's ridiculous. I feel like it's going to be the album of the year. I feel like it's
my best album that I ever made. It's way better than the first one.
CNN: Do you feel like you've pioneered this new sound that combines reggae and hip-hop and other
elements?
Kingston: I definitely think that's my own style. I definitely think I came in the game and I got my own blend.
I've got something that I call hip-pop, not hip-hop. And a lot of people are starting to use that now but I feel
like it was my fusion.
CNN: Is it fair to say that "Beautiful Girls" brought massive change to your life?
Kingston: It did. It changed my life like that! No other song did it but that song. I'm blessed.
CNN: Are you surprised that it only takes one hit song to make someone a huge star?
Kingston: It didn't really quite take me one. It took me one to get in the door. And then it took having a Top
Five record. But you've got to understand ... in this music business, there are so many one-hit wonders. You
could have a hit, but it's like "OK, could you follow up?" So it's not about what your past is, it's about
longevity.
CNN: You've been the opening act for Gwen Stefani and Beyonce. Who are some other female musicians
you admire?
Kingston: Man, those two are amazing. Gwen Stefani! That's what you call a star right there. Just to be in
her presence ... I learned a lot from her. She's just amazing. Beyonce too. I like Mary J. Blige. Rhianna! I
met her a lot of times and she's down to earth. She's so cool. And she's an island girl. And I'm an island
dude, and we gotta hold down for other people.
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/showbiz/2009/07/21/sean.kingston.cnn
JULY 6, 2009
http://blogs.nypost.com/music/
May 16th, 2009
July 16, 2009
YouTubin’ With The Stars: Sean Kingston
Wat A Gwaan! Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that Sean Kingston knows how to crank out radiofriendly bangers. His latest single, “Fire Burning,” is steadily climbing up the music charts; more
importantly, it’s a mainstay in those type of clubs where the white girls get silly. As the song stays in rotation,
Kingston is prepping his forthcoming album, Tomorrow, which drops on September 22 and reportedly
features a Lil Wayne guest appearance. While the hit-maker was in town recently, he stopped by the
Complex office to give us some commentary on some videos relating to Spencer Pratt, groupie video
chicks, and his now-infamous “Blackberry Bold” WSHH video. Check what SK had to say in this latest
installment of YouTubin’ With The Stars…
Interview by Grace Efuwape
CLIP #1: “NOBODY IN THE U.S. GOT A BLACKBERRY BOLD”
Kingston says: Yo, look how many views that got. That’s crazy. Yeah, that was a big issue. My chain didn’t
get robbed. I had sent my assistant to send a package to my jeweler in New York. The jeweler even showed
the security cameras to prove he never received the package. The assistant isn’t around anymore; I fired
him. Like, why would you put $500 insurance on something worth $500,000? What part of the game is that?
[Laughs.]
CLIP #2: “I’M A CELEBRITY, GET ME OUT OF HERE” SPENCER PRATT’S RAP DEBUT
Kingston says: Being on The Hills was great ’cause I had a blast with Audrina. We shot the scene when
she was interning at the record label, Epic. I never ran into Spencer though. Oh, he’s rapping now? Look at
this. His swag is…nah. He’s probably a cool dude but I don’t know about this. [Laughs] Spencer Pratt?
Sounds like Kyla Pratt. I mean, Kyla Pratt can do a better job than him.
CLIP #3: “THE E.N.D. OF DAYS” BY IT’S THE REAL
Kingston says: Yeah I heard about the fight between Will.I.Am and Perez Hilton. [Laughs]. You saw the
Spectacular video? [Laughs]. He did another video. Why would you do that? That makes people talk about it
even longer. As soon as I saw it, I hit him up about it. He’s not gay. I know for a fact that he’s not gay ’cause
he has a girlfriend. You ever been to a preview of his show before? They grind on the floor with their pants
off like that all the time; nobody ever says nothing about that. On their last single on Late Night Special, they
grinded with the same panties he had on. No homo. They grind on the floor and don’t nobody never talk
about it but he does it on World Star and people wanna talk. That’s what he does [Laughs]. I mean, it’s not
my direction but to each his own. I know he’s not gay though, I’ll tell you that. I don’t know about the
Will.I.Am and Perez Hilton incident. I don’t really think that Will.I.Am’s manager did that and now Will.I.Am is
saying it’s a fan.
CLIP #4: “VIDEO MODEL CALLS SEAN KINGSTON A GROUPIE”
Kingston says: Yeah, I don’t wanna talk about it. Nah, there’s no side to the story. She’s a stalker. She’s
the stalker. Her story is right but it’s the other way around. On the real though, I don’t wanna talk about that.
I had a crazy stalker though. I had a girl that drove behind my tour bus on the Chris Brown tour. She was
just crazy, just trying to get my autograph. Then I come back here to New York, this is about two years ago
after going on 106 & Park to drop “Take You There” and I come back and she’s standing in front of my hotel.
I don’t know how she knew where I was staying at. It tripped me up. I really don’t mess with groupies; I’m
really focused. I guess [Chyna] is a groupie. Call her a groupie. [Laughs].
CLIP #5: “PASS THE DUTCHIE” MUSIC VIDEO FROM MUSICAL YOUTH
Kingston says: I love this. I wasn’t even born when this came out. These kids are how old? They look mad
young and they singing about the Dutchie. I can understand if they were like 13, 14, or 15 years old but they
were young.
CLIP #6: “BEAUTIFUL GIRLS” BY JOJO
Kingston says: I like it. Her version didn’t go nowhere. She’s beautiful though; I’d go out with her. I
remember the rumor that I was going out with Paula Deanda but I only worked with her and that was it. I dig
Jordin Sparks but she’s linked up already. I think Meagan Good is on a whole ‘nother level than Megan Fox.
That girl is gorgeous from head to toe. I idolize her every time I see her. There is nothing wrong about that
girl. That girl is B-E-A-U-TI-FUL, toes and everything. [Laughs.]
CLIP #7: ELEPHANT MAN AND BUJU BANTON FREESTYLE WITH TIGGA
Kingston says: I like Elephant Man. Tigga can rap; he’s dope. [Laughs.] He was killing it when he used to
freestyle in the Bassment at Rap City. Yeah, that was tight. Tigga did his thing. Elephant Man took it. He
killed it though. He switched it up; sped it up. I like that. That was real nice.
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August 2008
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February 15, 2008
Music
The Year's Hottest New Music Stars
Louis Hau
Some recording artists toil for years without ever scoring a big hit. Then there's the fortunate few who skip all
the dues-paying hardships and skyrocket straight to stardom.
That pretty much sums up the experience of Sean Kingston, Colbie Caillat, Flo Rida and other new music
acts on our list of music's hottest new stars.
For this new generation, getting established is as much about nurturing an Internet audience as playing gigs
and knocking on the doors of hot record producers and promoters. Posting music and videos online and
interacting with fans who can help get the word out about upcoming concerts and TV appearances through
their personal blogs and Web sites are crucial pieces of the puzzle.
In Pictures: The Year's 10 Hottest New Music Stars
© Scott Gries/Getty Images
No. 2: Sean Kingston
The 18-year-old Miami native, born Kisean Anderson, spent his formative years in Jamaica, which explains
his stage name and the reggae lilt that graces the vocals on his self-titled debut album for Sony/BMG's Epic
Records. His biggest hit was "Beautiful Girls," a breezy, doo-wop flavored number that was possibly the only
hit single of 2007 that appealed to both kids and their grandparents. That song and a couple of other singles
have sold more than 2.5 million downloads and more than 1.6 million ringtones.
"Nowadays, a marketing plan always has a significant element that is based around the Web,'' says Lee
Trink, president of EMI Group's Capitol Records, home of new R&B hitmaker J. Holiday. "Radio is shrinking;
video channels don't play as many videos. But the good news is, there are so many different ways to get to
people [online] and to get to people in very niche ways."
Still, while the radio dial doesn't command the same audience it once did, radio exposure remains crucial to
generating blockbuster hits, Trink acknowledges.
"All of those have massive radio,'' he says. "The way things sell big numbers is still the old-fashioned way."
To compile a list of the hottest new stars of music, we examined several measures of popularity and
success. To start off, we looked at the top searches and downloads on peer-to-peer networks during the
past 12 months as measured by BigChampagne, as well as press mentions as measured by Factiva.
Then we looked at U.S. digital track downloads and album sales in 2007 and the first two months of 2008,
as measured by Nielsen SoundScan. Finally, we took a look at "mastertone" ringtone sales during the same
period, as measured by Nielsen RingScan (mastertones are ringtones that play a snippet of the actual
recording of your favorite song).
So who made our list? R&B and hip-hop acts dominate, including hitmaking singers Kingston, Holiday and
former American Idol champ Jordin Sparks and rappers Flo Rida, Plies, Huey and Hurricane Chris. Also
making the list are the rock band OneRepublic and easygoing singer-songwriter Caillat.
On top: Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, whose "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" was one of the biggest hit songs of the year.
Soulja Boy (DeAndre Way, to his mom) got his first exposure by posting songs and videos on his YouTube
and MySpace pages, which helped attract the attention of hip-hop producer Michael "Mr. Collipark" Crooms
and eventually landed him a contract with Universal Music Group's Interscope Records.
To refer to "Crank That" as a mere "song" would probably underplay its multi-platform ubiquity. The official
video racked up tens of millions of hits on YouTube and spawned a dance craze that prompted Soulja Boy
to shoot an instructional video that generated more than 30 million hits of its own.
Then there were the countless spoofs and imitations that featured mashups of SpongeBob SquarePants,
Dora The Explorer, Alvin and the Chipmunks and others. "Crank That" has also sold more than 3 million
song downloads and more than 2 million ringtones. With that kind of reach, it was hard to escape the song's
catchy refrain of "Yoooooo!/Crank that Soulja Boy, now watch me/Yoooooo!"
In a shifting entertainment landscape where young consumers are spending more of their free time online,
building a strong Internet presence is important to set the stage for a recording artist's first big hit. To push J.
Holiday and his breakout hit single "Bed," Capitol Records used the singer's fan base to help fuel further
interest in the singer by supplying them with embeddable videos and other tools so that they could share
their enthusiasm with others online, Trink says.
"We found that to be incredibly effective,'' he says, noting that, for many listeners, "It's a badge of honor to
turn people on to music that you really love."
But despite all the added attention focused on online marketing, the biggest hits--the ones that dominate the
upper rungs of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart--still tend to be the songs that get the most radio play.
Many of those hitmakers fail to generate much in the way of album sales. With sales of albums dropping
sharply across all genres, why does that matter? Because album sales can reflect how interested
consumers are in a recording artist, as opposed to just their hit song. And that, in turn, can be a barometer
of a music act's ability to sustain a career beyond their debut on the pop charts.
Strong album sales for hot new artists on our list such as Caillat (certified platinum by the Recording Industry
Association of America with more than 1 million units shipped for sale in the U.S.) and Kingston and Holiday
(both certified gold with U.S. shipments of more than 500,000) would seem to bode well for their next
releases.
But weaker album sales for other new hitmakers might be a sign that they'll have to work harder to ensure
their first flush of commercial success doesn't turn out to be just a flash in the pan.