Sean Paul has ‘No Fear’ for critics’ reviews

Multi-award-winning Billboard chart topper Sean Paul is delighting in the release of his long-awaited Scorcha album and has put little focus on the reviews.

The entertainer told THE STAR that critics will do what is expected of them: "they will talk".

"The thing is to criticise, to get heard, to get seen and to get known, [so] no me nah nuh fear fi dem," Sean Paul said. "At this point in my career, I have proved myself to myself."

Released last Friday, Scorcha, which for the artiste is an expression of evolution, is charting in over 45 countries. It was also reported by World Music Views that the album is currently No. 9 on the UK midweek Official Albums Chart, which is not usually announced publicly. Several international media houses have shared their reviews of the album, including Forbes.com, which described Scorcha as "a notably more radio-friendly record" in comparison to the artiste's previous Live N Livin album. Sean Paul said that for the eighth studio album he wanted to show growth. It has several international features, including Gwen Stefani, Ty Dolla $ign, and Tove Lo, as well as artistes steeped in the dancehall scene, like Damian Marley, Shenseea and Jada Kingdom.

Being in the spotlight not only comes with a lot of privileges, but opens an entertainer to some of the most ruthless criticisms. One London-based critic stated that "Sean Paul seems to have lost a bit of his fire" and that while he has maintained a applause-worthy standard, "perhaps the man just is burned out".

Though not answering any critic directly, Sean Paul, whose full name is Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques, expressed disinterest in negative comments.

He said: "I have no fears, and I really don't care who or what people think of it. I know my excellence, man; it's not an easy thing to do what I have done."

His song No Fear explains his approach to the industry and he deliberately put it at the end of the tracklist, as he wanted to make a powerful statement.

"I wanted to finish the album with a full stop, like 'boom, album done now, replay now'. The song is saying, we facing life without any fear, with all its adversities that it throws at us. We are able to look into life and just give thanks for where we are coming from," he said.

He reiterated that he did not have any fears or apprehensions, but that he was dedicated to contributing to dancehall's growth.

"I still want to do that. I love making music and singing it on stages. I've proved myself to have 19 hits on the Billboard charts, and that's in the top 20. I've helped to make it (dancehall) better, I have not left it worse, and I'm still here. I'm trying to make music because it pleases me, man," Sean Paul said.