Emerging from the English-Indian underground, Sean's first album featured political content as well as emotional songwriting baring his personal insecurities and struggles, all of it drawing influence from the traditional pop music of India (such as Bhangra). Released 8 November 2004 in the U.K., January 2005 in Malaysia, and February 2005 in India on 2Point9 Records, Relentless Records, and Virgin Records, 'Me Against Myself' achieved highly supportive critical reviews, with Dan Gennoe of Yahoo! Music praising Sean's work as "an album of phenomenally accomplished R&B". His release was certified as multi-platinum in his native India and gold in the U.K. His three singles (composed with help from Sean's mentor Rishi Rich) also met with British chart success: "Dance With You" (#12), "Eyes On You" (#6), and "Stolen" (#4).
Sean's touring, as well as the success of his singles in clubs, led Tareck Ghoneim of Contactmusic.com to call Sean an "Asian sensation". Still, he had his eyes on breaking into the U.S. while also keeping his stride with the U.K. charts, and he wanted as well to incorporate more of a slick pop sound to his coming work. His sophomore release, 'My Own Way', featured him on the cover looking as dapper in his light brown suit as a master of business. Released 12 May 2008 on Jayded Records and 2Point9 Records, the work suffered from various leaks and also received some mixed reviews from critics.
Nonetheless, the album became commercially successful in the U.K., reaching #6 on the U.K. Albums Chart and #1 on the UK R&B Chart. It eventually became certified platinum. Lead single "Ride It" also garnered major airplay throughout Europe, featuring Sean remarking about "all about the games people play across the dance-floor on a night out". Momentum building, his third studio album, 'All or Nothing', came out 23 November 2009 with strong promotion in the U.S.
International top 40 singles "Down" and "Do You Remember" cemented Sean's status as a global superstar. With massive tours leading him from TV show to stadium across countries, "Down" (also known as "Down (Feat. Lil' Wayne)" and other titles due to Lil' Wayne's presence) in particular hit the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming later known as one of the iconic singles of 2009 in American memory. Other nation's listeners also gave his singles strong airplay.
The first official single from Jay Sean's fourth studio album, titled 'Worth It All', was "I'm All Yours", which he sent for airplay on April 18, 2012. The song featured rapper and entertainer Pitbull. Although not quite achiving as much success as he had hoped in the U.S., it became a major international hit, reaching the top 40 in both Germany and New Zealand, and it ended up being mutli-platinum certified in Australia.
When it comes to the business of being a singer there are artists, there are stars and there are phenomenons. Jay Sean is all of the above. The proof is in the press, the sales, the fans and above all, the music.
ALL OR NOTHING is both Jay Sean's first American release and first for Cash Money/Universal Republic Records. But while it's his debut over here, the 29-year-old Pop/R&B singer/songwriter/producer has been a major sensation and multi-platinum artist over there since 2004; releasing two smash albums, scoring two top ten singles, nominated for Britain's heralded MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award twice and building a worldwide, fervid fan-base that stretches from Russia to Australia to NYC.
In some ways ALL OR NOTHING is the best of both worlds. Featuring sizzling, brand new tracks like the lead off single "Down" (featuring label mate Lil' Wayne), ALL OR NOTHING also includes some of the songs that helped Jay Sean blow up around the rest of the world.
One of those songs is "Ride It" written "strictly on a vibe," built on a hypnotic, sinewy track, and delivered with Jay Sean's slick vocals. The video for "Ride It" clocked an astonishing 12 million hits on You Tube (20+ million hits across all online video channels) and captivated fans everywhere; including Cash/Money Records CEO and co-founder, Ronald "Slim" Williams who was turned on to Jay Sean's music by one of the singer's producers. Slim liked what he heard and proved it by making Jay Sean the first UK artist to join the Cash/Money family.
The match up of Nawlins swagger and UK Pop/R&B drives ALL OR NOTHING's first single "Down" ft/ Cash/Money soldier Lil' Wayne. Already taking radio by storm, "Down" resulted from a conversation that began about what's wrong in the world, and blossomed into a celebration of everything that's right - namely love.
Offers Jay Sean, "I'm a very positive, optimistic person and thought let me write a song about the idea that if you've got someone special in your life then nothing else really matters how you need to appreciate the little things. The title is a play on the word 'down.' That's why Lil' Wayne says, 'Are you down like the economy.' It's a fun, very easy track something to pump in your car."
Another mid tempo breeze born out of real life is "War." The message? "To battle with anybody, whether it's your girl, family or another country never solved anything," explains Jay Sean.
It is that mix of introspection and keenly crafted Pop/R&B songs that has brought Jay Sean from where he was to where he is.
Born and raised in London, England and of Indian/Punjabi heritage, Jay Sean started rapping at 12 and credits rap with helping him structure, produce and write songs. Inspired by R&B stars Jodeci, Brian McKnight, Joe, and Musiq Soulchild, Jay Sean started singing hooks and then stepped it up.
Amazingly, at the same time he was exploring his artistic side, Jay Sean was at med school; surely a steadier profession than "pop-star." Luckily Jay Sean's parents had his back.
"It wasn't as though they suddenly went 'you sing?' Jay Sean laughs. "They knew there might be a strong possibility I'd do music. They told me, 'The same way you apply yourself to your studies you have to work hard doing music.' That's always stayed with me."
Jay Sean's songs caught the attention of a producer putting together a groundbreaking project fusing traditional Punjabi music and contemporary Pop/R&B. As soon as the single dropped, Jay Sean became the face and voice of a new generation.
"It was so interesting that the kids who love listening to Pop/R&B and traditional Indian music said, 'What the hell is this, it's brand new.'"
Along with galvanizing a heretofore, untapped demographic, Jay Sean caught the ears of the industry, because as he explains, "The English labels knew I had this huge following.
His solo debut ME AGAINST MYSELF dropped in 2004 and exploded on the Internet. Jay Sean toured through Europe, South East Asia, as well as spot dates in the US. He even performed, with Akon, at the Ruler of Dubai's daughter's sweet sixteen. In India, this album outsold Jay-Z, Britney Spears and Madonna.
"I have a heavy fan-base in many countries including India. I'm in a minority culture but in many countries, there's still Indians there and they all knew me," says Jay Sean.
After dealing with creative issues and the desire to change his musical direction to straight-forward Pop/R&B, Jay Sean made the decision in 2008 to go for self.
"I realized I had a global fan base so why not make the music myself?"
Those instincts paid off and then some when MY OWN WAY, his first release on his own label, Jayded Records, out sold and then some Jay Sean's prior effort. The album peaked at #6 on the UK album chart.
All of which brings Jay Sean to ALL OR NOTHING and a future that is just beginning.
Speaking with a refreshing mix of humility and confidence, Jay Sean says, "I've got a different up-bringing and take on a music that you guys make so well and would like to think that I'm a fresh new face and voice. Hopefully American audiences will like it. People always like a change. That's what I have to offer."
See: www.jaysean.com
I Believe in You
Jay Sean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you can run away and hide
yeah
a form of pain
girl if only for a while
life has been
treating you so wrong
and I dont know if id have been that strong
so let me know baby
if theres anything you want ill be there
let me know
if i can be the one you run and talk to
you should know
that I admire you for every strength that you have shown
ill be right where you are
cos I believe in you
no matter what Im by your side
I believe in you
and everythings gonna be alright
I believe in you
and when it hurts I'll dry your eyes
youll make it through
cos I believe in you
memories of your past will go with time
and fade away like the marks that own your skin
he never broke
the person that you are
cos he never got to know the girl within no
so let me know baby
if theres anything you want ill be there
let me know
if i can be the one you run and talk to
you should know
that I admire you for every strength that you have shown
ill be right where you are
cos I believe in you
no matter what Im by your side
I believe in you
and everythings gonna be alright
I believe in you
and when it hurts I'll dry your eyes
youll make it through
cos I believe in you
Oh yeah
He was your cause and your cure
of your heartache
for he was all that you knew
ooh
dont you ever believe that your ever alone
i will be there for you every step of the way
I believe in you
no matter what Ill be by your side
I believe in you
and everythings gonna be alright
I believe in you
and when it hurts I'll dry your eyes
we can make it through
cos I believe in you
I believe in you (repeat)
The song "I Believe in You" by Jay Sean is a beautiful and emotional ballad about supporting someone through their tough times. It talks about the struggles that life can bring and how it can make someone feel alone and lost. The lyrics convey a message of hope and strength, telling the listener that they are not alone and that someone is always there for them. The song also speaks about the power of believing in yourself and how it can help someone overcome their difficulties.
The opening lines of the song set the tone, talking about a place where someone can run away and hide from their pain for a while. It then goes on to talk about life being tough and how the person singing the song may not have been as strong as the listener, which is portrayed through lines such as "life has been treating you so wrong and I don't know if I'd have been that strong." The chorus of the song then emphasizes the message that no matter what, the singer believes in the listener and everything will be alright.
The second verse talks about letting go of painful memories and moving on from them, comparing them to marks that fade away with time. It also talks about how the person who caused the pain never truly knew the real person within. The song ends by reiterating the message that the singer will always be there for the listener, that they believe in them and that they can make it through.
Line by Line Meaning
Theres a place
There is a destination that you can escape to.
you can run away and hide
You can go there to hide from your problems.
a form of pain
Suffering exists, unfortunately.
girl if only for a while
Even if it's temporary, girl, it could help.
life has been
Your existence so far
treating you so wrong
has treated you unjustly.
and I dont know if id have been that strong
I'm not sure I would have the strength to endure what you have.
so let me know baby
Just inform me
if theres anything you want ill be there
I'll help if there's something you need.
if i can be the one you run and talk to
I'm here to lend an ear if you're in a difficult situation.
you should know
I want you to be aware
that I admire you for every strength that you have shown
I'm proud of you for demonstrating your resilience.
ill be right where you are
I'll be with you, no matter where you are.
cos I believe in you
I trust that you can do it, no matter what.
no matter what Im by your side
Regardless of what happens, I'm going to be there for you.
and everythings gonna be alright
I'm confident that everything will work out in the end.
and when it hurts I'll dry your eyes
When you're in pain, I'll comfort you.
youll make it through
You'll be able to overcome your troubles.
memories of your past will go with time
With time, memories of your past will fade away.
and fade away like the marks that own your skin
The marks you have will eventually go away.
he never broke
He never caused any harm
the person that you are
The individual who you truly are
cos he never got to know the girl within no
He was never able to discover the real you.
He was your cause and your cure
He was both the cause and the solution to your problems.
of your heartache
The source of your pain
for he was all that you knew
He was all you had.
ooh
An expression of emotion.
dont you ever believe that your ever alone
Never think that you're alone in this.
i will be there for you every step of the way
I promise to be there for you throughout this journey.
we can make it through
Together, we can get through this.
I believe in you (repeat)
I have faith that you can overcome this.
Contributed by Aaliyah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jay Shakur
Still gold!!! Listening this with full of enjoy in 2020. Love from The Hague, The Netherlands!