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
Man
Jay Sean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until I saw you run
That perfect glow glow
It wasn’t from the sun
Where do I go go
When I have no light
Cause you were my sunshine
I felt like I could fly
But now I fear fear
To look up at the sky
And it’s so clear clear
That I need you around around
Since you’ve been gone
I’ve been falling apart
Walking around with a hole in my heart
Didn’t realize who I was till I lost you girl
I was the luckiest man in the world
The luckiest man in the world
In love with a beautiful girl
I was luckier when you were around
But my luck just ran out
I had the world had the world
In the palm of my hands
Had a girl, had a girl
Who would die for her man
How can I live when my life’s just running away
What is the point now
I was wrong, I was wrong
For feeding you lies
And you were strong so strong
But it kills you to fight
And now you’re gone so gone
And my luck went away away
Since you’ve been gone
I’ve been falling apart
Walking around with a hole in my heart
Didn’t realize who I was till I lost you girl
I was the luckiest man in the world
The luckiest man in the world
In love with a beautiful girl
I was luckier when you were around
But my luck just ran out
Waste of time
Both yours and mine
What a waste of all those white lies
If I could tell you one last lie
I’d say I’m doing just fine
Now that you’re gone girl I’m falling apart
Walking around with a hole in my heart
Didn’t realize who I was till I lost you girl
I was the luckiest man in the world
Since you’ve been gone
I’ve been falling apart
Walking around with a hole in my heart
Didn’t realize who I was till I lost you girl
I was the luckiest man in the world
The luckiest man in the world
In love with a beautiful girl
I was luckier when you were around
But my luck just ran out
The song "Man" by Jay Sean is a heart-wrenching ballad about the regret and pain that comes with losing someone you love. The song's opening lines refer to the singer's lack of awareness of how much the person they loved meant to them until they lost them. The perfect glow that they previously thought came from the sun was actually emitted by the loved one when they were around. The singer is now lost without them and has no light to guide them.
The chorus tells the story of the singer's realization that they were the luckiest man in the world when they had their lover by their side, but now that they're gone, they're falling apart. The lyrics convey the regret, pain, and the sense of loss that comes with losing someone you love.
The second verse of the song is focused on the singer's realization that they were wrong in their actions towards their lover. They had fed them lies, and they were strong enough to fight, but it killed them to do so. Now that their lover is gone, the singer's luck has run out, and they're struggling to come to terms with their loss.
In the final verse of the song, the singer reflects on the wasted time that led to the loss of the relationship. They acknowledge that they told multiple lies, and if they could tell one last lie, they’d say they’re doing just fine. The song concludes with the chorus, reiterating the singer’s realization that they were lucky when they had their lover by their side.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn’t know know
I was unaware of my true feelings
Until I saw you run
Until I saw you happy and free, I didn't fully realize my love for you
That perfect glow glow
Your radiance and beauty were unparalleled
It wasn’t from the sun
You shone brighter than any natural light
Where do I go go
I am lost without you
When I have no light
When there is no one to guide me
Cause you were my sunshine
You were the light of my life
When you were here here
I felt complete when you were with me
I felt like I could fly
With you by my side, anything was possible
But now I fear fear
Without you, I am afraid
To look up at the sky
To face the world without you
And it’s so clear clear
I know now
That I need you around around
You are the missing piece in my life
Since you’ve been gone
After you left me
I’ve been falling apart
I am not myself anymore
Walking around with a hole in my heart
I feel incomplete and broken
Didn’t realize who I was till I lost you girl
I didn't know how much you meant to me until you were gone
I was the luckiest man in the world
I was so fortunate to have you
In love with a beautiful girl
I was deeply in love with you
I was luckier when you were around
Having you in my life made me feel lucky
But my luck just ran out
Without you, I am not lucky anymore
I had the world had the world
I had everything I wanted
In the palm of my hands
Under my control
Had a girl, had a girl
I had you, my love
Who would die for her man
You loved me so deeply, you would do anything for me
How can I live when my life’s just running away
How can I go on without you when everything feels like it's slipping away?
What is the point now
There seems to be no purpose to life without you
I was wrong, I was wrong
I made a mistake
For feeding you lies
I was dishonest with you
And you were strong so strong
You had the strength to leave me
But it kills you to fight
But it hurt you to leave me
And now you’re gone so gone
And now you are out of my life
And my luck went away away
Without you, my good fortune vanished
Waste of time
Our relationship was not worth the effort
Both yours and mine
Both of us invested time and emotions in this relationship
What a waste of all those white lies
Our lies and deceit led to nothing
If I could tell you one last lie
If I could deceive you one more time
I’d say I’m doing just fine
I would pretend that I am over you
Now that you’re gone girl I’m falling apart
Now that you have left me, I am completely broken
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAMIL CHAMMAS, JONATHAN PERKINS, NASRI TONY ATWEH, N JHOOTI, N LAROW, N ROHAIM, N SKALLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
simona simi
this acoustic it's one of the great covers!!! luv u sean
gabrielle guzman
good cover! :)
Brad M
People on here need to realize: when you cover a song, you're paying tribute to that song and it's creator(s). There's no reason to trash Jay Sean for this, especially since he specifically credits the songwriter for having a 'genius' concept.
Debby Kapoor
HAHA, the only difference between the script and Jay is that he sings LIVE and his voice is A LOT BETTER while their edited voice canNOT come up to his heavenly voice. Please, just stop hating bc this cover is flawless!
Shounak Mallick
Haters need to relax lol. He's just doing a cover of a song he likes, it isn't even that bad
Back Up
low key racism up in this comments section
Fatima Ruiz
he's just trying do his own version! I love you so much Jay Sean!
Rhiannon F. Greer
I love it when artists do eachother's music
jaxx Mena
he did a really good job at this LOVE HIM!!!!
Jake S
Wow, pleasantly surprised with his cover. Well done.