Jay Sean facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jay Sean
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Sean in 2011
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Kamaljit Singh Jhooti
26 March 1981 London, England
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| Other names | MC Nicky J |
| Education | Latymer Upper School |
| Alma mater | Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary University of London |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | |
Kamaljit Singh Jhooti (born March 26, 1981), known as Jay Sean, is a British singer and songwriter. He started his music journey in the UK with 'The Rishi Rich Project'. Their song "Dance with You" became a hit. It reached number 12 on the UK music charts in 2003.
This success led him to sign with Virgin Records. As a solo artist, he had two top 10 hits in the UK in 2004. These were "Eyes on You" (No. 6) and "Stolen" (No. 4). These songs were on his first album, Me Against Myself. This album sold over two million copies in Asia. It is still his most successful album. Jay Sean helped make Bhangra-R&B music popular around the world.
He later left Virgin Records in 2006. He then started his own music label, Jayded Records. In 2008, he returned with "Ride It". This song reached No. 11 in the UK. It also topped the charts in several Eastern European countries. Other hits followed, like "Maybe" and "Tonight". These were on his second album, My Own Way. This album reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart.
From 2009 to 2014, he signed with Cash Money Records. In 2009, his US debut song "Down" (with Lil Wayne) became number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This made him the first solo artist of South Asian origin to top the Hot 100. It was also the first UK urban act to do so. "Down" sold over six million copies in the United States. This made him a very successful British artist in US chart history. His next hit, "Do You Remember" (with Lil Jon and Sean Paul), also sold over a million copies in the US. It reached the top ten on the Hot 100.
Contents
Jay Sean's Early Life and Career
Growing Up and Starting Music
Jay Sean was born Kamaljit Singh Jhooti on March 26, 1981. He was born in Hounslow, West London. His family was Indian and Sikh. He grew up in Southall, West London. He showed musical talent from a young age. When he was 11, he and his cousin formed a hip hop group. They called it "Compulsive Disorder." His stage name then was MC "Nicky J."
He went to Latymer Upper School. This is a private school that famous people like Hugh Grant also attended. He did very well in his school exams. Later, he started studying medicine at Queen Mary University of London. But he left in 2003 to follow his dream of being a singer. For his music career, he chose the name Jay Sean. "Jay" was his nickname. "Sean" came from "Shaan," a nickname his grandmother used. "Shaan" means "shining star" in Punjabi.
First Album: Me Against Myself (2003–2006)
Jay Sean's song "One Minute" was heard by producer Rishi Rich. In 2003, they formed 'The Rishi Rich Project' with Juggy D. Their first big hit was "Dance with You". It reached number 12 in the UK charts. This led to Jay Sean signing a big deal with Virgin Records.
His first solo song, "Eyes on You", became a top 10 hit. It reached number 6. His next song, "Stolen", reached number 4. The video for "Stolen" featured Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu. His first album, Me Against Myself, came out in 2004. Critics really liked it. People called Jay Sean an "Asian sensation." They praised his mix of R&B, hip hop, and Indian music.
Even though the album only reached number 29 in the UK, it sold well. It sold 100,000 copies in the UK. It became a huge hit in India, selling over two million copies. He also appeared in a Bollywood film in 2005. He sang a song for the movie's soundtrack. The album also sold over 300,000 copies in other parts of the world. His performances on MTV Asia were watched by 165 million viewers. This helped him become a major artist across Asia. He helped make Indian-R&B music popular. In 2006, he left Virgin Records.
New Beginnings: My Own Way and All or Nothing (2007–2009)
After leaving Virgin Records, Jay Sean kept working on his second album. He released the single "Ride It" in late 2007. This was the first song from his album My Own Way. This album was released by his own label, Jayded, and 2Point9 Records. The music video for "Ride It" showed Jay Sean with a new look.
My Own Way reached number 6 on the official UK Albums Chart. It also had two more UK top 20 songs: "Ride It" and "Maybe". "Ride It" was very popular in Eastern Europe. It was one of the best-selling songs in Romania in 2008. "Maybe" was his most successful song in Japan. It reached number 7 on the Japan Hot 100. A Chinese version of "Maybe" was also released. The album sold over 350,000 copies worldwide.
In October 2008, Jay Sean announced he had signed with Cash Money Records in the US. This made him the first male British Asian singer to sign with a big American label. His first US song was "Down" with American rapper Lil Wayne. It became number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This was a huge achievement. "Down" sold over six million copies in the United States. It became one of the best-selling digital songs by a British artist.
In November 2009, his next song, "Do You Remember", was released. It featured Sean Paul and Lil Jon. This song also sold over a million copies in the US. It reached the top ten on the Hot 100. These songs were on his US debut album, All or Nothing. This album reached number 37 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It also reached number 11 on the Japan Oricon Albums Chart.
Jay Sean was featured on other artists' songs too. He was on "What Happened to Us" by Australian singer Jessica Mauboy. This song reached the top 20 in Australia. In 2009, Billboard magazine ranked him as one of the top 100 artists. In December 2009, he performed at Madison Square Garden. He was the first South Asian artist to perform there since Freddie Mercury.
Later Music: Neon and The Mistress (2010–Present)
Jay Sean started working on his fourth album, Freeze Time, in July 2010. He said that artists like Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj would be on it. Three songs were released from this album: "2012 (It Ain't the End)", "Hit The Lights", and "Like This, Like That". Jay Sean also went on tour with Joe Jonas. He released a mixtape called The Mistress in September 2011.
Freeze Time was later cancelled. Jay Sean then started working on a new album with more R&B music. The first song from this album was "I'm All Yours" with Pitbull. It was released in May 2012. The second song, "So High", came out in October 2012. Both songs were on an EP called So High.
In February 2013, he changed the album title to Neon. It was released in July 2013. The songs "Where You Are" and "Mars" (with Rick Ross) did not become big hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
In January 2014, Jay Sean released "Take That Off" from his second mixtape, The Mistress II. In October 2014, he released "Tears in the Ocean." He also left Cash Money Records because he wanted to try different music styles. The Mistress II was released in November 2014.
In 2015, Jay Sean worked again with Rishi Rich and Juggy D. They restarted 'The Rishi Rich Project' and released the song "Freak." In 2016, he released "Make My Love Go" with Sean Paul. This song marked his return to the music charts. Jay Sean also worked with many famous DJs like Hardwell and Alex Gaudino.
In 2017, he released "Do You Love Me" and "What You Want" with Davido. In 2018, he released "Emergency" and "Say Something." He also released four more songs: "Need To Know," "Now Or Later," "Say Something," and "Why Why How Why." In 2020, he worked with Indian pop singer Guru Randhawa on "Surma Surma." He also released "Nakhre" with Rishi Rich, which reached No. 1 on the BBC Asian Chart. He started 3AM Entertainment to help new South Asian artists.
Helping the Community
Jay Sean has worked with BBC Blast. He answered questions at events to help young people. He has also supported the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). He performed at their charity event in 2004 and 2009. During this time, he visited schools in the UK. He wanted to inspire children to get involved in music. At one school, he met a young Zayn Malik and encouraged him to sing for the first time.
In 2009, Jay Sean performed at Justin Timberlake's charity concert. This concert raised money for the Shriners Hospital for Children. It raised over $9 million.
In 2012, Jay Sean joined the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign. He recorded a song called "Here's Hope" for this cause. He also appeared in an ad for PETA. He encouraged people to adopt pets from shelters.
Personal Life
Jay Sean married singer Thara in August 2009. Their daughter, Ayva Loveen Kaur Jhooti, was born on December 13, 2013. They had a son named Aaryan on August 15, 2018.
Discography
- Me Against Myself (2004)
- My Own Way (2008)
- All or Nothing (2009)
- Neon (2013)
Awards and Nominations
- 30 Under 30
- 2009: Won
- UK Asian Music Awards (AMAs)
- 2005
- Best Album (Me Against Myself) (Won)
- Best Urban Act (Won)
- Best Video ("Stolen") (Won)
- 2007
- DesiHits Artist of the Year Award (Won)
- 2008
- Best Urban Act (Won)
- Best Video ("Ride It") (Won)
- 2009
- Best Male Act (Won)
- Best Album (My Own Way) (Won)
- Best Urban Act (Won)
- 2010
- Best Male Act (Won)
- Best Urban Act (Won)
- Best Video ("Down") (Won)
- Best Album (All or Nothing) (Won)
- 2011
- Best Male Act (Won)
- Best Urban Act (Nominated)
- Best Video - ft. Nicki Minaj – "2012 (It Ain't the End)" (Won)
- Brit Asia TV Music Awards
- 2010
- Best UK Urban Act (Won)
- Best Single ("Down") (Won)
- Best Male (Nominated)
- Best Album (All or Nothing) (Nominated)
- 2008: BMI Songwriter Awards ("Deal With It") (Won)
- Channel U Best of British Awards
- 2008: Best Video ("Ride It") (Won)
- MOBO Awards
- 2008
- Best UK Male (Nominated)
- Best R'n'B/Soul (Nominated)
- MTV Russia Music Awards
- 2008: Best International Artist (Won)
- Rogers Filmi South Asian Film Festival
- 2009: Music Video Award ("Down") (Won)
- UK Urban Music Awards
- 2009: Best Collaboration ("Down", featuring Lil Wayne) (Won)
Concert Tours
- Joe Jonas & Jay Sean Tour (2011)
- Asia Tour (2018)
Filmography
- Kyaa Kool Hai Hum (2005), himself
- Sesame Street (2011), 1 episode
Images for kids
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Jay Sean performing in 2011.
See also
In Spanish: Jay Sean para niños
- List of songs written by Jay Sean
