This past weekend, Jamaican dancehall artiste Shenseea, who made her debut at the Billboard Music Awards, although a rising international artiste, showed out, in more ways than one, that she reps her homeland Jamaica.

Dubbed dancehall’s princess, Shenseea had a weekend of many firsts – performing at the Billboard’s very first MusicCon on Saturday (May 14), before making her debut the following day, on the Billboard Awards stage, where she presented Pepsi’s inaugural mic drop moment.

And, as the Blessed singjay spoke on the silver carpet and took the international stage, she showed in several ways that she is Jamaican to the core.

Highlighted her country

Shenseea has always been one to proudly rep the land of wood and water, and at 2022’s Billboard Awards, the 25-year-old did just that.

Rocking what appeared to be stringed stilettos and a sultry long brown feather dress, accentuated with silver, red, white, pink, green and tortilla, Shenseea began her presentation by ‘bigging up’ [hailing] her homeland.

Belting out the popular greeting made more famous by former US President Barack Obama during visit to Jamaica in 2015, she excitedly said: “First I gotta give a shout out to my country Jamaica real quick. Billboard, wah gwaan.”

If one thing is for sure, Jamaicans are filled with national pride, and Shenseea, no matter where she is, has never shied away from letting others know where she is from. While she is currently trying different sounds with her music, in other spheres of her life, the singjay has stuck to her roots.

No Lickle Twang

Twanging is a common practice many locals have been known to do when speaking with foreigners. Shenseea, who is guilty of doing that in the past, this time around, refreshingly stuck mostly to her Jamaican accent.

As the star presented the Pepsi Mic Drop Award to Glass Animals, for her almost two-minute long introduction of the category, for which she was more than prepared, she stuck strictly to Jamaican standard English.

Speaking with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly on the Silver Carpet, the artiste, as in her award presentation moments later, utilised Jamaican Standard English as she spoke about what’s ahead.

Shenseea shared that, of the two Billboard appearances she had to make that weekend, MusiCon was less nerve wracking for her versus the Sunday presentation which she admitted made her nervous.

“Being on stage tonight, because its my first I don’t know what to expect so hopefully let’s see how it goes,” she explained when asked which stage appearance made her more nervous.

The singjay astonished by Kelly’s knowledge of an upcoming project between her and rapper Diddy, reluctantly confirmed that both her and the 2022 Billboard Award’s host, have something in the works.

“We’re working on something I mean I’m a person who likes to just show my work instead of just talking about it so you just have to stay tuned to be honest.”

Her date? Her son

Although it is not uncommon for celebrities to allow their children to accompany them at award shows, Shenseea having her son Rajeiro as her date is still significant.

Most Jamaican mothers, especially when their children are at a very tender age, tend to take them just about anywhere, especially so, if it a single parent household and they have no choice.

While it is clear that the Sun Comes Up singer chose to have him accompany her to the Billboard’s, the gesture says ‘Jamaican’.

The mother-of-one was clad in a silk tortilla-coloured matching pants suit, while Rajeiro donned a black jacket, bow tie, sunglasses, a crossed silver chain and stylish pants.