INTERVIEW: Sean Paul On iHeartRadio Music Award Nom, Working With Sia & New Single

Sean Paul has released and been a part of many hit songs over the course of his incredible career. Whether it's his own songs as the lead artist, or collaborations as a featured artist, Sean has A LOT of bops under his belt. One of these earworm tracks is his collab with pop powerhouse Sia, "Cheap Thrills." The song was a smash hit, reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, US Adult Top 40, US Dance Club Songs, and US Mainstream Top 40 charts, also achieving multi-platinum status in countries all over the world including the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, among several others. 

In addition to its many achievements, "Cheap Thrills" has been nominated for several iHeartRadio Music Awards this year, including Song of the Year, Best Lyrics, and Best Collaboration. We recently caught up with Sean Paul in New York City, and during an exclusive interview, the Jamaican recording artist told us about being nominated, what it was like working with Sia, as well as filled us in on the details about his new collaboration with Dua Lipa called "No Lie." Check it out below.

[Buy "Cheap Thrills" on iTunes]

What does it mean for you to be nominated for an iHeartRadio Music Award in multiple categories for your collab with Sia?

"It's crazy. I'm a fan of Sia, and I'm a fan of iHeartRadio, too. So, it's kinda nuts to be appreciated for what you do, because not everybody is appreciated for what they do. So, thank you very much, Sia. Thank you, iHeart, and I'm looking forward to it. I hope we do win."

What do you think about being nominated along with artists like Justin Timberlake, and Drake, and Adele?

"It's always flattering and amazing to me, to be considered in that category. I come from a small island. We do our music. We love it. I've become international with it. And, it's just a great feeling to be up there with some big dudes and big ladies."

You mentioned that you're a fan of Sia. How did this collaboration even come about?

"She just got in touch with management ... we've never met. She sent me flowers after it became a No. 1 song, which I didn't even know that it was her first No. 1. I swear she's gotten No. 1s before. I'm a fan of her, like I said. My mom has schooled me on her music from before, and it's very few times, nowadays, that my mom schools me on what's hot. So, I'm just pleased to be involved."

So, your mom's a Sia fan too?

"My mom, my niece, myself, she's dope. She's amazing. Great voice, and just a prolific writer. She could write in any style."

What to the lyrics for "Cheap Thrills" mean to you?

"This song means empowerment, both for ladies and dance music, and that goes hand-in-hand, too. I'm glad she chose to express herself on dance tracks. But, also, what it's saying to ladies is the common rhetoric that you always hear is not really the thing. I, myself, love when ladies feel music and dance. But, we've always been glittering it with this stuff nowadays. It's kinda like a statement. It's like, 'have fun, do your thing.' So, we [have] to thank Sia for that."

You have an awesome new collaboration out featuring Dua Lipa called "No Lie." Tell us about the song and what it was like to work with her?

"She's an amazing, young talent. I've heard some stuff that she's coming out with later this year, it's pretty dope. [Our song is] called 'No Lie,' it features her, but written by Emily Warren. Emily is a crazy songwriter. I've written about seven songs with her so far, and I'm looking for more of them to come out. I just believed in the project, I thought it was very danceable, very party-oriented, and I was thankful that Dua came and capped off such a good song for me."

What else can fans look forward to from you in 2017?

"I [have] so many things [coming] this year. There's a song with Tory Lanez that's also out, it's called 'Tek Weh Yuh Heart.' That's produced by one of my original Jamaican producers. I have an album that I'm putting together for later this year, probably about summer, [and] it features David Guetta production, Afrojack, Shakira, Migos, and people like Wizkid. So, just a lot of different stuff. "