There are moments in life when miraculous things happen — like when a small town boy from Hounslow, London becomes the first and only South Asian in the world to hit the number one spot in the US Top 100 Billboard charts and that too, with his debut single, “Down” no less. Down-to-earth and incredibly personable, international musical artist, Jay Sean IS that boy!

He had a dream, as we all do, to do great things and in less than a decade of honing his craft as a songwriter, singer and performer, he has done what no one from the global South Asian community has ever done before him. His name will go down in history as the first of his kind…the one who opened the door to — what was up until now—the elusive world of the mainstream music industry. He will always be known as THE ONE who did it so the rest can now have hope. The time for South Asian musical artists has FINALLY arrived, to reach an audience beyond our own and to show the world, the might of talent that our community has to offer!

In this, his most revealing interview to date, Jay shares his insights on how to write a commercially viable song, how his mass South Asian following has helped him break into the mainstream arena, and what to expect from his new album, Freeze Time, coming out this fall. There is so much more to his story than meets the eye.

Read On…

EARLY DAYS. . .

What was it about music & songwriting that secured your desire to enter this industry?

When you’re young, you’re drawn to certain things — some people like football, some people like karate. For me, music was more than just something I enjoyed listening to. I was fascinated by it. I’d watch some of my favourite artists and emulate everything they did. I wanted to learn how to sing like them, rap like them – I wanted to learn how to rap as fast as them. I learned how to beatbox and that study of music at a young age is what led to me continuing in the process of music throughout my teenage years. People like Jay-Z, Big L, Das EFX. These were all the rappers that I used to study. Boyz II Men big time. I remember vividly that me and my brother would sit there and I’d pretend to be Shawn and he’d pretend to be Wanya and we’d record ourselves singing Boyz II Men (laughs). There was also Brian McKnight and a lot of other soul singers.

What did you feel you needed to learn in order to get yourself ready for the very competitive world of entertainment, where only a very small percentage of individuals actually make it, let alone make it to the level that you have?

Well, first and foremost, and more than anything, you need to know if you can write or sing a great song because a great song will resonate with anybody at any time, anywhere in the world. There are some songs that I’ve heard that I know word for word, and I might not even know who sang it or who wrote it. Like Christmas songs — we know all of them. We don’t know who wrote them or who sang them, but the fact of the matter is that they resonate with anybody, so I think it comes down to that really; it’s always about the music.

How did you actually get started? It’s one thing to say “I love music” because everybody does. How did you actually take that love affair and turn it into something that you felt you could make a living out of?

I think it’s about taking a passion to the next level. That requires a number of things: a lot of perseverance and a lot of knowledge of the field you’re going into. It’s not just by chance that I’ve learned how to write good songs. You have to study it. You get actors who watch other actors’ films to study how their method of acting resonates so well with the audience. You need to look at and recognize what it was within their delivery that made that possible. I study my craft meticulously. That’s something that I learned is very important because there are a lot of artists that might want to put music out but don’t realize the importance of all the variables that make a song successful or reachable to an audience. For example, a great video can go a long way. Styling can go a long way. The cost of your image can go a long way. The cost of your voice goes a long way. Don’t be smoking and drinking and doing all this mad stuff. You’ve got to really be serious about it and I’m very serious about what I do. Everything that I do, I try to do a great job of it so that whenever somebody sees me doing it, they’re like “you know, there’s a reason why this guy is succeeding because he’s clearly trying to be as great as he can at what he’s doing.” That coupled with a consistent reminder to yourself of how lucky and how blessed you are to be given an opportunity to do something good, so do it to the best of your ability.

Well said! So over all the years that you’ve been studying and working so hard at your craft, how did you find your sound? Was it a conscious search for you, or an unconscious evolution?

Both. I started off seven or eight years ago, infusing a lot of Indian sounds with pop and R&B music. I took certain sounds from my Indian culture, whether it was a flute or tabla. Me and Rishi Rich thought it was a great idea at the time and it was. It was something new that no one had really done before. After a while I grew from there because I don’t personally think that that’s actually a genre of music yet that has the ability to transcend over the years until it becomes big like reggae and even bhangra. This type of fusion or Indian sounds with English music is not a big enough scene to carry forward yet.

Why do you think that is?

Because there’s not enough people doing it or doing it well enough for it to be a movement with sustainability and for it to become a sound that is recognized by the mainstream media. So you have to grow from there, and the only thing I realized was that everybody has a starting point—everybody has somewhere where they begin, from which they discovered themselves and grew. In that growing process, the only thing I learned, the only thing I told myself was “just write great songs.” That’s it. Concentrate on writing great music rather than try and focus on a gimmick.

THE ART OF SONGWRITING & PERFORMING. . .

It’s no secret that this knowledge has made you a commercially successful songwriter. What songwriting process do you go through to write a good song?

I follow my instincts and my heart. I know that sounds crazy. It really depends on the vibe that you’re in. Everything has to come together at the right time in order for a great song to come out. I can go into the studio today and try to sing “Down” or “Do You Remember” or “Ride It” and it will sound completely different from the day that I recorded it because there’s something about that day, that was the day you were meant to record it.

What comes first for you: music or lyrics?

Usually, it’s always the melody of the song. I’ll hear the music and then I’ll start humming out melodies and then I’ll fill in lyrics to those melodies. That’s pretty much how I do it.

Where do you derive your inspiration from in order to encapsulate the emotions and the vibe of each song that you write?

You know, a surgeon can read and study books and know exactly what nerves to operate, what muscles to cut open, etc. He knows there’s a method, there’s a particular way to do what he wants to do. But with songwriting, there is no method. You just have to be in the zone. For me, I don’t look anywhere particular for inspiration. I just ask myself, “does it feel right, does it feel good, I like it?” If “yes,” then that probably means that some of my friends will like it and if my friends like it, hopefully that means that some of the people who spin on radio will like it and people will get to hear it. That’s the kind of thing you have to go on. The moment you start overthinking it, it’s over for you.

Is there a certain time of day or mood that comes about that tells you that this is the time for you to shut off the world and nail a song recording?

Yeah . . . it can happen anytime. I mean, for example, yesterday I recorded a ballad. A real heartfelt ballad but it was daytime, there was a big open window in the studio and it wasn’t happening. I was just like “bro, I’m not feeling that kind of vibe.” Honestly I’m looking out of the window, it’s a nice day, it’s not the kind of day where I feel sad and wanna sing a sad song. I know it sounds very airy fairy and artsy fartsy, and other people might be able to do it, but I personally can’t do that. I say, “crap bro, can we record this in a couple of hours if the vibe is right?” And he’s like “ya man”, and of course, in a couple of hours, the vibe happens to be right and I go behind the mic, and I do it and I nail it.

Apart from nailing the performance, what elements do you think about implementing in order to ensure that the song is not just well-performed but a commercially viable product, considering that your sound is packaged for the mass market?

The one thing that I’ve learnt is that you can write music for yourself and sing it in a way that pleases you, which is very self-fulfilling, but it might not translate to anybody else and my whole thing is, yes this is my passion and something that I love, but guess what? It’s also a job. A job means you have to make a living out of it. So you have to figure out why you’re doing it. Is it that you’re doing it for yourself —a hobby, or as a career which means you’re doing it for everyone else as well? You can do it in a subway somewhere and sing your heart out and do whatever it is you want to do if it makes you happy, but if it makes nobody else happy, my personal opinion is, what’s the point? You have to create a balance between something you love and something you know is a great product. But also something that the general public is gonna enjoy and gonna buy, and that’s what is ultimately important. Point in case, a super creative designer could make a sofa which looks amazing and futuristic, but it’s made out of metal studs. Who’s gonna sit on it? Who’s gonna buy it? Nobody. So, you have to think very carefully about what it is about a song that is going to translate to the general public. Are they going to be able to sing it and relate to it?

So how do you do that?

I listen to songs on the radio and try to understand why certain songs work and why certain songs have been played in heavy rotation while other songs may be great but no one really wants to play or hear them. For example, the way I sing on “Down” is completely different from how I’d sing a ballad. I’m not gonna over sing a song like “Down”— no one cares for it. It’s a feel-good song so they wanna hear the melody and sing the song because it feels good to do so. So you have to understand what kind of song you’re making and who the audience is for that particular song — is there an audience?

Out of all the songs you’ve written so far, which is your favourite and why?

Very hard. There are certain songs for certain reasons.

So give me a couple of them for different reasons.

There’s a song on my new album called “Sex 101” which is extremely different from anything else that I’ve written. It’s a tongue-in-cheek throwback on a R&B record, reminiscent of R. Kelly type of R&B. It’s great and I love it because I’m a lover of R&B music. I feel a lot of the time that R&B music is lost in mainstream society at the moment. Another song is a ballad that I just wrote. A song called “Sorry,” which is from the heart — very real and very emotional. And then there is my current single, “2012,” which I love because of the concept alone— I was very happy with the fact that I wrote a song which I don’t think, touch wood, any other songwriter has yet written. And of course, “Down,” just for what it did for my career.

Which artists/bands do you believe to be the best performers of all time?

Diane Warren, who’s huge when it comes to the big power ballads. Any big power ballads you can think of was probably written by her, either her or David Foster who’s just incredible. Then of course, contemporary songwriters I look up to like Ne-yo and The Dream. Another songwriter that I really look up to is Babyface.

Having seen you perform a couple of times, it’s totally apparent that you love the live element of your job and the interaction that you have with your fans. What is it about this part of your job that gets you psyched?

You just said it — the interaction with the fans hands down. To put on a show, to see people smiling, to hear them sing back the lyrics that you wrote, to know that you just might be making someone’s day is just an amazing feeling. You have to remind yourself that these people have paid money to come and see you. That’s how much they support you, and that’s how much they love you so you’ve got to give it your all so they’re left feeling, “man I went to that show and I had such a blast!” For me, if you can do that for somebody, it’s just a beautiful thing to be able to do.

What thus far, is the most memorable moment you’ve had while performing for a live audience?

The biggest moment for me was like an out-of-body experience. I know it sounds crazy, but I was at Madison Square Garden and I’m thinking, here’s this little Indian kid from a little small place called Hounslow in England, that against all the odds, made his way to New York to one of the greatest performance venues on Earth and stood there on stage amongst 20,000 people who sang back the words that he wrote — I wrote!

Wow!

Yeah, it was just like one of those moments where I was like “thank you Lord. I don’t know how I ended up here, but I did, so thank you.” It was just such a great moment.

A moment that you just never forget, because it’s surreal.

Yes, it’s very surreal.

The performance element of what you do is just as important today as the songwriting. From your perspective, which artists or bands do you look up to from this perspective?

Well, for the most obvious reasons, it’s Michael Jackson. He was the biggest and greatest entertainer that has ever lived. Prince as well, a performer in everyway; an artist in every sense of the word. I look at people like Lady GaGa, who has really stepped it up. Anybody who can sell out arenas is a great performance artist. You can have great songs, but what about them is going to make you want to go see them live in concert? It’s those artists that I look up to, people like Justin Timberlake who put on a great show. It’s about what you can offer, more than just singing back a song that everyone has heard on the radio. What extra (things) can you do that will make me want to spend my money and time to come out and see you? And then there’s people like Stevie Wonder and Brian McKnight who I’d pay through the roof to just go and sit there, just to hear them sing. I’ve witnessed Beyonce — oh my God, she’s another one I can’t forget. Her show is just incredible because that voice is coming out of her mouth while she’s movin’ around stage, but she still sounds incredible. And that to me is real music.

SOUTH ASIAN DOMINATION. . .

Absolutely! I want to talk to you now about just how ANOKHI your success story really is. I mean, the only person I can think of who has had this kind of mainstream success story from our community is the musical maestro himself, A.R. Rahman. So let’s talk about your conquering of the global South Asian world, which makes up one-fifth of the world’s population. You first became known when you were part of a collaborative ensemble with Richie Rich and Juggy D in the early 2000s. What did that time in your life teach you about yourself as an aspiring artist that has stayed with you till today?

Until myself, Rishi and Juggy came onto the scene, I don’t believe that there was any young icon/role model/pin-up or whatever you want to call it, that the young generation wanted to put up on their bedroom walls and show off to their non-Desi friends because they thought they were cool. I mean, they just didn’t have that in the Indian community when we first started. We’d sit there and laugh about it and go “really?” I’d look at Juggy and go “Juggy, come on, no girl’s gonna want a picture of you in her room.” And he’d be like “shut up, who’s gonna want a picture of you in their room?” And you know, we’d tease each other because we didn’t believe it was happening, but it was! Those kids grew with us and that whole generation witnessed the growth, the journey, and that’s why I realize that my community is ultimately my biggest supporter and they’ve always been there for me and with me. And it’s because of them that I have a solid foundation and from there, it’s grown mainstream. And that’s something I just can never take for granted.

So the single biggest lesson you’ve learned from back then is the value of your community’s support system?

Yes, and to never forget where you came from. Because the minute you forget who made you or who supported you or who booked you for your first show at 50 pounds, when you were nothing, which made you the happiest guy on Earth because you couldn’t believe you just got paid to sing a song, you’ll lose your support system. You gotta remember those people, the ones who were there from the beginning till now because it’s very easy, once you kind of get a little bit bigger, to set your eyes on something else, or to chase someone else’s support, or to want someone else to give you that endorsement instead of the people who gave it to you at the start. People who actually believed in you before you made it anywhere, and I think that’s very important to give respect to that.

How would you compare the time you spent as part of the Richie Rich Project as compared to the time you spend as a solo artist?

The funny thing about the Rishi Rich Project was that, and we laugh about it still — me, Juggy and Rishi, to this day, we were seen as a group but technically, we never really a group. We never had an album together or anything like that. Rishi Rich did his thing and Juggy did his thing and I did my thing so the way we describe it is that we were like a crew that hung together and performed together. Juggy could give them the bhangra, Rishi could give them the beat, and I could give them the pop/R&B stuff. And so promoters started booking us as a collaborative. And we’d go around the world touring together. Man, we had the best time ever, and to this day, I still miss those moments because there’s nothing quite like sharing that with somebody, you know? When you’re on your own, it’s much harder because all the interviews are just you, someone else can’t take over. Before, I got to share it with two other people and now it’s all on me. Don’t get me wrong, the adulation is great, but on the flip side, the responsibility and workload is all on me and that’s massive, but that’s something I understood from day 1.

And how’d you feel about that? Would you change anything knowing what you know now?

I was always a dreamer in terms of what I would one day achieve. And anybody — anybody who knows me well can tell you that I won’t stop, and I don’t stop. And I set my goals further and further, and bigger and greater. So my whole thing is bring it on, I’m ready!

Well said. Unlike a lot of SA artists in entertainment who make it mainstream, you continue to work with SA media like ANOKHI (smile). Why do you feel that this is important? A lot of crossover artists, once they go mainstream, go to the mainstream media also.

What kind of person would I have turned into if I suddenly turned my back on those who have supported me? I can’t speak on behalf of other artists but that’s just me. Maybe I’ve been brought up really well by my parents. I can’t stand people who become too big for their boots — why? Nothing lasts forever. As much as I’d love it to, and as much as we’d all love it to, very few people in this world who have the kind of success that they dream of, have it for a lifetime. Just because you have success doesn’t mean you have to turn into an obnoxious person and forget those people who supported you in the beginning. I will never forget — in fact I still have it — the first magazine article that came out on me. My mum’s still got it in her scrapbook. It was the biggest thing in the world to me when it happened — how does someone forget that? Somebody wanted to take my photo and put it in a paper. I’ll never forget that.

GLOBAL MAINSTREAM BREAKTHROUGH. . .

Now let’s talk about your mainstream success. You had a little stint with Virgin Records in the U.K. in 2004, which helped put you on the mainstream U.K. radar. And it’s no secret you’re currently signed to Cash Money Records, which has put you on the mainstream global map. It’s been said that the principals at Cash Money discovered you on YouTube, were floored at the sheer popularity of your songs and signed you almost immediately. Is this story true?

Yes. The way it happened was that literally, my producer JRemy, who’s out here in America, from the Orange Factory, said, “Look Jay, I know this guy who owns Cash Money Records. I told him I know this guy called Jay Sean.” The next thing you know, he typed my name into Google and YouTube and saw everything I did. I think he was just a little bit taken aback by how many hits I had gotten on my video, like millions, and I wasn’t even in America. I think at the time, for them, it was confusing how an artist outside of America could have such mass popularity and not be known in America. It was off the back of that that I literally got a phone call saying, “Dude, you need to be over here in America. We can put you out here!” That’s how it happened.

Wow!

Yeah. Chills just thinking about it!

That’s interesting. In the past, you just had to be a fabulous songwriter or a great singer and you had your chance of breaking the market. But today, you’ve got to come ready-made and have a following before you can get signed. I remember watching an interview with Oprah when she interviewed Adam Lambert from American Idol, and asked him how he felt about being discovered. What was interesting was that he said that in today’s musical world, artists are very rarely discovered by labels. They actually need to come ready made with a following. This was the case with you. Thoughts?

Yes, this is a big change today versus yesteryears. Look at Justin Bieber. He had a huge following before signing onto a label. These artists already are on the radar so record companies take them on because they already have traction, and turn them into even bigger stars — superstars. That’s a clever thing to do because a lot of the ground work is already done. It’s becoming the new model.

Why do you think this is? Because of the power of the internet, social media and video blogging?

In part, but I also think it’s because, unfortunately, artists aren’t what they used to be back in the day. We’re not held in such high regard by anybody anymore.

Why do you think that is?

Because we’ve become disposable. What happens is that YouTube and MySpace give the audience and the record labels a chance to see what you’re made of. If you stink, they’re like, “next!” I’ve heard it a thousand times — this guy will work because he’s gotten thousands of hits on YouTube AND he’s already got half an album done as well. That’s gonna cut out a lot of hard work. Also, the audience doesn’t need to wait a year and a half for their next favourite artist to come along — they can go and find them on YouTube by watching somebody sing in their bedroom. But really, I think what it is, is that the fan base and the loyalty from fans means so much more nowadays because that loyalty doesn’t really exist anywhere else.

You could be right.

Your fans are the people who will come wherever you are in this world to see you. It doesn’t matter to them because they love you that much. Fan base is where it’s at.

The fans are giving artists visibility and they’re allowing labels to understand and recognize that this artist is on the radar, because everything does, as you say, come down to what the fans think of you and whether the fans are supporting you.

Yes. That’s what record companies want to know.

So let’s get back to you. How did you feel when Cash Money Records signed you on?

Surreal. It still does. It was completely unconventional the way it happened. It wasn’t like I showcased for anybody or a demo tape went to them — nothing. This guy who owned Cash Money went “I like you, I want to meet you, it can work, done.” I mean, that was it. He told me he flew me over because he just wanted to meet me, didn’t want me to sing for him or anything. He said, “cool man, as long as you can fit into my family.” That’s it. That’s what it is for them. It’s whether or not you can fit into their family. That’s all it took.

It’s no secret that following your signing, you got your biggest success to date — the phenomenal rise of your first single, “Down,” making you the only British artist in fourteen years (after Seal) to bag the coveted number 1 spot on the U.S. Top 100 Billboard chart. And you were the the only SA artist ever to achieve this position! How did it feel when you found out that you’d made history?

Even when you say it, I’m like “wow! that’s pretty incredible.” It really is. How can you feel, other than completely elated and very fortunate and very blessed? It also really inspires me when I say: “Really you did that? Wow! If you can do this, you can do anything.” You really can. It has taught me to keep dreaming and believing.

No nerves about whether you can do it again? You next album is looming?

Well, what’s the worst that can happen? What, I don’t get number 1 again? Ohhh so what? At least I got number 1 once in my life. If you try to compete with yourself you’re gonna be your own worst enemy. You kind of have to accept that that was a moment in time and it was a beautiful, great moment. It doesn’t have to be number 1. I don’t need to have a number 1 sitting out around the world. I just need to be good, I need to be great, and to continue to do good music. And in order to make my fans happy, I need to go around the world and enjoy my life and enjoy it with my fans and enjoy it with my family. It doesn’t matter. I don’t need those accolades, I don’t need those things to make me feel like I’m a success. It’s a beautiful thing to have achieved —of course it is. But otherwise, if that’s your measure of happiness or success, it’s a pretty scary world to come into.

So if you don’t define yourself in this manner, how do you define yourself?

Nooo that’s exactly it. I will never define myself by a chart position or define myself by the number of awards I’ve got sitting in my cabinet or define myself by the number of people who took a picture of me when I stepped out of a restaurant — who cares? It’s not about that for me. It’s about whether or not I’m doing a good job at what I’m doing. That’s how I define myself. And that’s actually all that really matters to me at the end of the day.

How’s life changed for you since the success—outside of the obvious money and fame — just as a person in general?

As a person, obviously I’ve become a lot more well-known around the globe now. So, of course, your privacy kind of goes down the s***hole. (Laughs) Politely. I mean, it’s crazy. I went to Jamaica recently and I had no idea everybody in Jamaica knew who I was. There’s no getting away from it. That’s what happens with success, I guess, if you’re in this field, so you just gotta accept it and be grateful.

And it’s clear that you are. I mean, you’ve since collaborated with some of the biggest names in music today. I mean, the kind of artists who generally only collaborate with mainstream, globally-known artists, which you’re one of today. That’s got to be a really insane feeling — when all these people you’ve looked up to for all these years are now knocking on your door and saying, “Look, let’s do a song together.” How does that feel?

Great. I hope that feeling doesn’t ever go away. I mean, I know where I’m at and I understand and get it, but I don’t want to stop being a fan of those people. They may be peers now and some of them are even friends but it’s weird because I grew up listening to them. Somebody like Shawn Stockman, who I now joke with, saying, “dude, you don’t understand how many times I used to rewind your songs and do the little run that you’d do!” He’d just laugh. For him, it’s amazing because I’m one of the new boys who looked up to him so much. I guess he probably feels quite flattered about it. But for me, I’m like “you’re my icon, you’re my musical idol!” And now you’re a friend. You know, it’s just a blessing and it’s something that’s just very strange, like when I met Jay-Z and Beyonce and they turned around and said “Yeah man, I really enjoyed your album and I’ve got it at home. Keep doing your thing.” I’m like “Boy, I’m talking to—you’re Beyonce! Do you know me?” (Laughs) It’s just an amazing thing.

You’ve had a pretty substantial history so far. You’ve really worked your way up to being in a position where you can garner the attention of the people at Cash Money Records and win the hearts of the masses. Now you’re getting ready to release your sophomore album, Freeze Time — your fourth official album release. Clearly, you’ve thought consciously about what this album needs to be—a stellar album but also an unmitigated commercial success because as you rightfully said, this is your living. Bearing this in mind, what did you do differently with the treatment of this album to step it up and keep you on top?

On this fourth album of mine, now that I know the global audience and I know the American audience — as I’ve performed all around America for the last year and a half and all around the world for the last eight years — I have a much better understanding of people’s taste. I understand where music is at and how it’s evolving and changing. That helps me as a songwriter and as a singer — to be able to write the kind of album that I think will be current in this climate and something that hopefully, in another 10 to 15, will still sound fresh. That really is the goal for me—to be able to do that!

Tell me what you’re bringing to the table this time around, with an album that’s different from before?

What I think this album has allowed me to do is bully my musical sound. This is the album which kind of goes, “alright you came from London, you ended up in America and you learned a lot along the way. You’ve become a better singer, songwriter and performer. You’ve also become more knowledgeable and mature as a person in general, so now you need to write an album that’s encompassing of all of this.” If you’re gonna want to hear the kind of music that I’ve been putting out so far, you’ll get that. It’s the same thing that my fans have loved about my sound from day one, but if you’ve never been into me, I’m going to give you an offering more than just the kind of stuff that you’ve heard before because that is also on there. If you like real soulful songs, then you’re gonna LOVE this album. If you like to dance, there are urban club tracks to feed that need also. I’m trying to cater to the majority of the audience out there because I know that I’m personally not into just one particular type of sound. Depending on my mood, there’s music that I want to dance to, cry to, reminisce to. I’ve written songs for most palettes — that’s what this album is about.

Any new collaborations on this album?

There’s a few actually. I’ve done a track with Pitbull, Nicki Minaj and some others. You’ll have to wait and see when the album drops late fall.

PERSONAL LIFE. . .

What does your family think about your success back home?

They’re used to it now. My grandma and granddad have been completely and utterly trained now when people come knocking on the door to find out where I live, whereas before, Baba (granddad) would invite them in for a cup of tea.

(Raj laughs)

He understands now how to respond. My family are just proud man. They’re just very, very happy for me and very, very supportive. And you know, I’m still their son. Mum still calls me up and says, “are you eating?” and I’ll say, “Yes mom” and then she’ll say, “do you need me to send some Indian food?” and I’ll say, “No mum, it’s going to get cold by the time it gets here.”

(Raj laughs)

You know what I mean?

Yes of course!

That’s never gonna change, thank God!

You know how parents from our culture can be when we decide to follow the road less travelled or more importantly, the road with no guarantee of success. I know from my parents’ perspective, they asked me: “Are you sure you want to go into something like that? Why don’t you use your education? You’re really smart.” Did you get that in the beginning?

Of course! But I must say, my parents encouraged me when I decided to quit medicine for a career in music. But it’s because my parents are much like me, they believe that you only have one life so you have to make the most out of it, your own way. My parents wanted me to believe I could be anything I wanted to be.

You’re really lucky.

Very lucky. My parents are incredible.

Did you ever doubt that you’d make it?

No, I didn’t. I didn’t doubt it. And I don’t doubt it. And that’s a quiet confidence, not arrogance. That’s just a confidence you need to have in order to take on such a huge challenge. To just believe you can. I don’t even question it. The thought didn’t even cross my mind that I can’t.

Well, I believe that what you put out there is what you get back.

That’s right!

Looking back, if you were to change a single thing, what would it be and why?

(Pause) You know what, I don’t think I would change anything. I mean, there’s been a lot of heartache along the way. A lot of weird moments where you go “ohhh this is just too hard man, why? There must be easier jobs than this.” And then you just kind of realize that that’s all a part of the struggle. It’s what builds your character and you need to fall sometimes to know if you’ve got what it takes to get back up, stronger than before. I wouldn’t change anything. I think everything has happened exactly the way it’s supposed to happen.

So was Mr. Jay Sean supposed to garner a massive female following (smile)?

(Jay laughs)

In your experience, what is it about you that women want and can’t get enough of?

I don’t know!

In your experience…

When I look in the mirror, I still see that little fat boy in the UK who ate too many paranthas.

(Raj laughs)

Maybe that’s what keeps me the way I am. I just don’t get, it but I’m very grateful for it. I’m very grateful that I have a very large female fan base. You know, I’m not stupid. It’s not like I don’t understand that I have loads of female fans. I’ll never let that — hopefully, I’ll never let that get to my head, and never look in the mirror and say, “You’re f*****g sexy.”

(Raj laughs)

I just can’t do that. It’s not me. But I think it’s very important to look after your health and your image and I take that seriously. I try to look good and feel good and that’s very important to me.

And very necessary for anyone. Describe the perfect woman.

My perfect woman has gotta be my best friend. Of course looks are important, but really, if I can’t have fun with you and I can’t be an idiot or less than perfect in front of you, then I can’t be with you. Neither of us are going to look like this forever or be like this forever. And the woman I’m with has to understand that because it’s the truth and truth is important to me.

Have you met her yet?

I might have. (Laughs)

What’s her name?

Not telling.

THE FUTURE. . .

Other than the release of the new album Freeze Time, what else you have coming down the pike?

There’s definitely a few acting things that have come my way. So apart from the fact that you might be seeing me on the big screen soon, something I’m really excited about — Hollywood offers I can’t talk about yet — I’m going to be putting on a global tour within the next year as well, which is something I haven’t done before. I’ve only done spot dates around the world so far.

LAST WORDS. . .

Elvis Presley is considered the King of Rock & Roll and Michael Jackson, the King of Pop—what would you want to be remembered as?

(Pause) I’d like to be remembered as somebody who represented my scene, the South Asian (scene). If they ever put up a statue of me in Madison Square Garden, that’s when I can say unequivocally, that I made it. When people think you did something sooo great or you achieved something beyond all expectations and all odds, that you deserve to be immortalized like that. That to me would be pretty damn incredible!

First published in The Fashion & Style Issue, September 2010, www.AnokhiMagazine.com

Crew Credits:
Photography by Joseph Saraceno
Shot on location at Thompson Hotel, www.thompsonhotels.com
Complete Crew and clothing credits listed in the September 2010 issue.

Photo Credits:
Cover. Clothing Credits: (L-R): (Kassandra) Dress By BCBG; Shoes By Steve Madden; Jewelry By Rita Tesolin; (Leanne) Dress By Gestuz; Earrings By Dagmar Jewelry; Cuff & Ring By Rita Tesolin,; Shoes By BCBG; (Jay) 3 Piece Suite By Z Zegna Available At Harry Rosen; White Shirt By Hugo Boss; Shoes By Stacy Adams; (Azura) Sari By CTC West; Jewelry By Dagmar Jewelry; (Kato) Dress By Nicole Miller Available At Holt Renfrew; Shoes By BCBG; Earrings By Dagmar Jewelry; Necklace By Rita Tesolin
Photo i: The Situation Room. Jacket By Hugo Boss Orange Price Upon Request; Tee By Hugo Boss Orange Price Upon Request; Jeans By Bolongaro Trevor Price Upon Request, Boots by Aldo Price Upon Request; Glasses By Gucci Price Upon Request
Photos ii and iii: Cool Confidential.  Shirt By Hugo Boss Price Upon Request Suit By Sand, $995 CDN, Pocket Square By Berend De Witt Available At Harry Rosen $65 CDN; Belt By Valentino, $425 CDN; Shoes By Hugo Boss Price Upon Request
Photo iv: Power Play. Jacket By Bolongaro Trevor Price Upon Request; Shirt By Giorgio Armani, $550 CDN; Jeans By Sand Price Upon Request; Shoes By Aldo Price Upon Request; Belt By J. Lindberg, $150 CDN

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