Breaking Boundaries: SéJ on ‘2 Shots,’ Songwriting, and Staying True
There’s nothing low-key about her ambition.
Photography by Junior Marques
It only takes two shots of rhythm (and maybe a little rum) to get hooked onto SéJ’s latest single. The multifaceted Port of Spain singer and songwriter, Whose name is short for Seige, is bringing a fresh pulse to the dance floor with her hypnotic blend of dancehall and R&B. On “2 Shots,” she supplies silky vocals that glide over an infectious beat; it is truly the perfect soundtrack for a late-night escapade.
SéJ has been quietly mastering her craft for the past few years, but there’s nothing low-key about her ambition. After working with Ne-Yo under Compound Entertainment and learning from Trinidad musical legend Machel Montano, she’s primed to make serious waves in the music scene. “I want [listeners] to connect emotionally while also empowering people to take control of their own lives because we only have one life to live.” 1202 MAGAZINE caught up with SéJ to talk about the journey behind “2 Shots,” the music that honors her roots, the genres that inspire her, and how she’s carving out a sound that’s entirely her own.
I first want to congratulate you! You recently just dropped your debut single, “2 Shots,” last month. How have you been feeling, and what has been your experience since the release?
Thank you, I was so excited to finally put that song out. I have people from the islands and all over the world send me videos and TikToks singing the song. And I'm like, ‘How are these people even finding my music?’ It’s kind of crazy how the internet is and how much of an audience you can reach. It’s really cool and exciting.
I really enjoy Listening to “2 Shots.” It's a groovy club banger on the surface, and after a couple of listens, I noticed there are some undertones of romance and feelings of escapism. What inspired you to write “2 Shots?”
Yes, exactly that. The whole idea behind the song was to encompass the idea of getting away with your friends and having a good time, or even sometimes you’re going through stress or getting over a breakup, and you just need some kind of a release. So that’s exactly what I wanted to encompass into a song.
I read previously that you started your songwriting journey about two years ago. Since then, how has your relationship with songwriting grown and changed?
You know, I couldn’t rhyme a sentence before this. In the beginning, it was so bad. But over time, I had to sit myself down and force myself to write. Since doing that, it’s been so much easier. It’s such a fun way for me to express myself, especially if I’m going through something. I even have this sparkly notebook that I write in. It’s full of notes whenever I get inspiration. It’s been really fun because I’ve never really had an outlet like that to express myself, so I really appreciate the process.
What does that process look like for you? How do lyrics form, and how does the inspiration strike you?
It honestly depends on the song I'm working on. Sometimes a lyric comes up, and I’ll think, ‘Yeah, that's a good one.’ But most of the time, if I’m by myself, I’ll be listening to a beat, and once it grabs my attention, I’ll start singing melodies and then putting words to them. That’s typically how the process goes for me.
How did your upbringing in the Caribbean shape your love for music and your creative journey?
I feel like Trinidad is the mecca of Caribbean music; every genre of Caribbean music has stemmed from Calypso. Most people don’t know that dancehall stems from Calypso, which is from Trinidad. So I feel like having those roots definitely influenced me, and even in Dominica, we have something called Bouyon. The rhythms and lyrics within that are something that influences me as well. Even growing up, I wouldn’t only listen to Caribbean music; I remember growing up, my mom would play a lot of Luther Vandross and Beyonce. Personally, I love listening to Frank Ocean and Jhene Aiko. I feel like my taste in music is all over the place. It doesn’t just come from one place. I feel like you can hear that in my songs; it’s not just one genre; it’s a blend of them.
Absolutely, being inspired by different genres is what makes artists well-rounded and multifaceted. It’s dope that you pull from so many worlds. Speaking of family, I read that you come from a big family of doctors and nurses. How were you able to navigate that dynamic to carve out and create your own path?
Yes, my whole family! It started with my dad; he grew up in Dominica. His family was poor but he was able to get an island scholarship from Dominica to go to Trinidad to study medicine. And he was the first out of his family to have a degree, and after him I swear every single cousin, nephew, and niece is either a doctor or nurse. There’s no in-between, and they don’t want to hear anything about music!
It was tough at first. Even in high school, we had to take formal exams to qualify for university. I remember when it came time to choose my subjects, I had to pick all sciences. I told my dad, ‘I want to try taking history and literature instead.’ Soon after, I started getting calls from every auntie from all over the world. They all said the same thing: ‘No, you can’t do that! Just stick with the sciences. It’s fine if you don’t want to be a lawyer. At least with science, you can always change your mind later.’
Recently, they have become more supportive. It started when I met a big artist in Trinidad, Machel Montano, and played him some of my work. He told me, ‘You’re so talented—you have the potential to go beyond Trinidad and pursue this on a bigger scale.’ That seemed to change my family’s perspective. Since then, my dad has completely flipped—he’s in the studio with me every day, even sleeping on the couch. Both he and my mom are very supportive now.
Who are some Trinidadian, Dominica, or Barbados music artists that have influenced you and your style? Who did you grow up listening to? What type of music were your parents playing around you?
My dad is a huge Bob Marley fan. I remember back in primary school, he bought a Bob Marley CD and wouldn’t let us listen to anything else! He played the same twelve songs every single day. My mom, on the other hand, loves the Jamaican artist Tessanne Chin and listens to a lot of R&B artists like Beyoncé and Adele. My dad is all about reggae, so their tastes are pretty different.
Yes, It's interesting to be musically influenced by one family but branch off and also draw from others to find what resonates with you outside of what you you up with.
Exactly! I love listening to Frank Ocean and Billie Eilish, but my mom doesn’t really listen to artists like that. We all have our own influences, but it’s important to use them to shape your own identity.
Who are some of your dream collaborators?
Artists, I think it would be great to collaborate with SéJ…Drake, Sean Paul, Vybz Kartel, Dave (a rapper from the UK), Swae Lee, and Ed Sheeran.
I feel like, as artists, we all have the moment that strikes us to make art. What was the defining moment when you knew you wanted to pursue a career in music?
COVID was when it happened. The experience in Trinidad was very different from America. Your borders opened much sooner, but Trinidad’s borders stayed closed for a year after that. We were stuck, and we couldn't go anywhere for a long time. I spent a lot of time at home, just thinking. I love Trinidad and my home country, but I started feeling like I needed to leave to see what the world had to offer me. I’ve always loved singing. It was my passion in school. Singing, drama, and the creative arts were the only things I ever wanted to do. But where I’m from, pursuing something like that can feel unrealistic. During COVID, I had this moment where I told myself: as soon as the borders open, I’m getting on the first flight to America to give it everything I’ve got.
What is it like navigating the music world as a Caribbean woman, especially when it comes to imprinting your culture and voice authentically without watering yourself down?
I’ve noticed, especially for women artists in the Caribbean, that as soon as you release a dancehall or soca song, you’re immediately branded into that category. I think in mainstream pop and R&B, people have started to celebrate Caribbean and African culture more. It’s becoming more popular now, whereas in previous years, it wasn’t as embraced. I feel like now it’s our time, and people are willing to celebrate the culture. It feels really good—before it was different and, in some ways, harder, but it’s definitely gotten better. It can still be tough to find a balance, though, because you’ll put your accent on a pop beat, and people will try to push you into dancehall. You can easily be put in a box. But we can do it all, you know? We don’t have to be confined to one category.
Now that your debut single has dropped, what do you want your listeners to take away from your music, now and in the future?
I definitely want to give people a chance to feel the full range of their emotions, but I don’t want that to stop them from living and experiencing life. A lot of my songs focus on relationships, but I want to approach them in a way that feels light. I want to connect emotionally while also empowering people to take control of their own lives because we only have one life to live.
