Shenseea at 30: 30 Defining Moments From Jamaica to the World
From “Loodi” and the birth of the ShenYeng movement to Grammy recognition, global collaborations and billion-stream milestones, Kaboom looks back at 30 moments that shaped the Jamaican superstar’s journey
Shenseea paving her way to global stardom
For more than a decade, Shenseea has carved out her own lane in dancehall, rising through a male-dominated industry and taking her career further than she once imagined.
Her beauty and image have undoubtedly played a role in her brand - something she has never shied away from, but it is her musical talent, versatility and ambition that have pushed her beyond Jamaica.
From crossover hits and major collaborations to international stages, chart success and building the ShenYeng brand, Shenseea accomplished plenty before even reaching 30. As she celebrates her 30th birthday, Kaboom Magazine looks back at some of the defining moments that shaped her journey from Jamaica to the world.
Shenseea during the early days of her breakout career.
1. Joining Romeich Entertainment
Whether people liked it or not, Shenseea's partnership with Romeich Entertainment played a major role in launching her professional career. Under Romeich Major's guidance, the young artiste quickly began gaining attention on the local scene, including an early appearance at Reggae Sumfest nearly a decade ago.
2. Breaking Through with “Loodi”
Shenseea's 2016 collaboration with dancehall giant Vybz Kartel became one of her first major breakthroughs. Guided by Romeich, the young singer joined forces with one of Jamaica's biggest stars for “Loodi,” which helped introduce her to a much wider dancehall audience.
The record went on to become one of her early successes, while Shenseea's breakout year also earned her major recognition at the Youth View Awards, including Young Hot & Hype Artist, Breakout Celebrity and Collaboration of the Year.
3. Touring Europe with Sean Paul
The rise didn't stay in Jamaica for long. In 2017, Shenseea joined Sean Paul on his European tour, giving the emerging star an early taste of performing for international audiences and taking her music beyond the Caribbean.
4. Creating the ShenYeng Movement
Released in 2018, “ShenYeng Anthem” helped turn ShenYeng into her identity and a movement among her fans. The track recently surpassed 100 million Spotify streams, becoming her first solo song to reach the milestone.
5. Crossing Over with “Blessed”
“Blessed,” featuring Tyga, became an important crossover moment, accumulating millions of streams and more than 75 million views on YouTube.
6. Signing with Rich Immigrants/Interscope
Her 2019 deal with Rvssian's Rich Immigrants and Interscope Records marked a major step towards fulfilling her global ambitions.
7. Appearing on Ye's Donda
Shenseea appeared on “Pure Souls” and “Ok Ok Pt. 2” from Ye's Donda. The album later earned an Album of the Year Grammy nomination, giving Shenseea her first Grammy nod as a featured artist.
8. Teaming Up with Megan Thee Stallion
“Lick” brought Shenseea together with Megan Thee Stallion for a major dancehall-meets-hip-hop collaboration ahead of her debut album.
Shenseea with Megan Thee Stallion
9. Releasing Debut Album Alpha
Shenseea released her debut album, Alpha, in 2022, debuting at No. 2 on Billboard's Reggae Albums chart and becoming the first Jamaican artist in 17 years to debut that high on the chart. Featuring Megan Thee Stallion, 21 Savage, Tyga, Sean Paul and Offset, the album showcased her versatility across R&B, pop, reggae and dancehall.
10. Making Her U.S. Late-Night TV Debut
Shenseea made her U.S. late-night television debut with a performance of “Deserve It” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
11. Making Her Coachella Debut
In 2023, Shenseea brought her Jamaican flavour to one of the world's biggest festival stages, making her Coachella debut with Coi Leray and Tokischa joining her set.
During her Coachella debut
12. Afro Nation Presence
Shenseea made her Afro Nation debut at the festival’s U.S. premiere in Miami in 2023, performing alongside fellow Jamaican star Mavado. She later returned for Afro Nation Detroit in 2024 and is already booked for another appearance in 2027.
13. “Hit & Run” Takes Over
Her 2024 Masicka collaboration “Hit & Run” became one of the biggest dancehall records of her career, surpassing 200 million views on YouTube while proving she could still dominate at home while expanding globally.
14. Releasing Never Gets Late Here
Shenseea released her sophomore album Never Gets Late Here in 2024, expanding her sound across dancehall, reggae, pop and Afrobeats, with collaborations including Wizkid on “Work Me Out” and Coi Leray on “Flava.”
15. First Multi-City Headlining Tour In 2024, Shenseea embarked on her first multi-city solo headlining tour, the Never Gets Late Here North American Tour. Beginning in Chicago and ending in Las Vegas, the tour drew thousands of fans across North America.
16. Expanding Her Reach Across Asia and Australia As part of her growing global footprint, Shenseea took her live show to new markets, performing at Australia’s Promiseland Festival in October 2024, as well as NOMADS! Festival in Bali and shows in Japan.
17. Earning Her Second Grammy Nomination
The momentum behind Never Gets Late Here continued when the project earned Shenseea her second Grammy nomination, this time for Best Reggae Album at the 2025 Grammys.
In London, following her signing with Columbia Records through a joint venture with Since ’93.
18. Becoming a Grammy Winner
While not for her own album, Shenseea earned her first Grammy win as a featured contributor to the Bob Marley: One Love - Music Inspired by the Film project, contributing renditions of classics like “No Woman, No Cry”.
19. Winning at the MOBO Awards
Shenseea won Best Caribbean Music Act at the 2025 MOBO Awards, adding to her historic 2021 win when she became the first female artist to take home the Best Reggae Act award.
20. Surpassing 1 Billion Spotify Streams
In 2025, Shenseea surpassed one billion combined streams on Spotify, becoming the most-streamed female Jamaican artist on the platform at the time.
21. Joining the Smurfs Soundtrack The Grammy-nominated artiste joined Rihanna and Tyla on the official Smurfs soundtrack with “It’s My Party,” one of 14 songs featured on the project. She later walked the red carpet at the movie’s premiere in Brussels.
22. “Shake It to the Max (FLY)” Goes Global Shenseea recorded one of her biggest international successes as a featured artist alongside Skillibeng on Moliy’s “Shake It to the Max (FLY)” remix. The track topped Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, surpassed 500 million Spotify streams and earned her first RIAA Gold certification in the U.S., before later achieving Platinum status in the UK.
23. Joining Forces with Legendary Mariah Carey and Kehlani
The Jamaican superstar continued to elevate her global profile by joining pop icon Mariah Carey and R&B star Kehlani on “Sugar Sweet,” featured on Carey’s album Here for It All.
24. Entering a New Chapter with Columbia Records After parting ways with longtime manager Romeich Major and later Interscope Records, Shenseea entered a new chapter in her career, signing with Columbia Records through a joint venture with Since ’93 under Sony Music Entertainment.
25. Two New Collaborations with Vybz Kartel Nearly a decade after their breakout collaboration “Loodi,” Shenseea reunited with Vybz Kartel on “Panic,” the lead single from his God and Time album. The pair later linked up again for their second collaboration of 2026, “Talk to Me Nuh.”
26. Performing for 50,000 at Reggae Land In August 2026, Shenseea was among the headliners at Reggae Land in front of 50,000 fans. After her own set, Vybz Kartel later brought her back onstage during his performance to perform their collaboration “Panic” together for the first time.
Shenseea hits the stage of Reggae Land 2026
27. First Female Dancehall Artiste Nominated at the Billboard Latin Music Awards Shenseea expanded her global footprint by joining Daddy Yankee on “Echo,” part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup soundtrack, which reached No. 1 on a Billboard chart. The collaboration also helped her make history as the first female dancehall artiste to earn a Billboard Latin Music Awards nomination.
28. Stepping Into New York Fashion Week Beyond music, Shenseea continued building her presence in fashion, making appearances at New York Fashion Week and attending major shows, including DIOTIMA and LUAR, alongside some of fashion and entertainment’s biggest names.
29. Making YouTube History Shenseea officially surpassed 1.5 billion views on her YouTube channel, becoming the first Jamaican female artiste to reach the milestone.
Shenseea celebrates her 2025 Dancehall Female Artiste of the Year award
30. Back-to-Back Dancehall Female Artiste of the Year and More Awards Shenseea entered 30 on a winning run, claiming Dancehall Female Artiste of the Year at the Caribbean Music Awards for a second consecutive year in 2026, along with Song and Collaboration of the Year for “Shake It to the Max (FLY).” She also added AFRIMMA’s Best Female Reggae/Dancehall award, closing out her 20s with more accolades and global recognition.
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