Jay Sean interview: "I miss my UK fans"

One of the biggest musical success stories of the noughties, London-born Jay Sean sought vengeance against his homeland after his pop career failed to take off - instead hopping across the pond and becoming the first UK urban act to top the charts Stateside with 'Down'. Now with a string of international hits that boast features from the likes of Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj, we phoned up Jay Sean to discuss his new album Freeze Time and, naturally, to find out whether or not he still bears a grudge against us Brits.

Do you get to spend much time in the UK nowadays?
"I'd say I'm permanently jet-lagged now, I don't even question it! I just have to get on with it. I don't get to spend a lot of time here now, the thing is America is such a big place and that's where my record company is now based. Friends occasionally come out to see me, but there are a lot harder jobs out there that take you away from your family, so I shouldn't complain about that. I miss my UK fans more than anything else."

Is it hard to promote material in two countries at once?
"It's a massive problem. The difference between promoting a single in America compared to the UK is that England could fit into America 50 times, so to get a song out there takes much longer! Once your song is picked up, you realise how big your potential audience is. Some of my singles have had something like two billion radio impressions."

Were you disappointed with the chart performance of 'Hit The Lights' in the UK?
"Not at all! I wasn't even aware of what it was doing when it came out. My friends told me radio are still playing '2012', so that might have been the problem. I'm lucky to have had a string of songs do well, so I'm not going to concern myself with one misfire. It still gets a great reception live, which is what counts."

What's the story behind the title of your new album Freeze Time?
"I've should have called it Taking Too Much Bloody Time! I've been working on this one for quite a while! Music is changing very quickly and I wanted to make sure the album was right. We were going to release it but I didn't like what was on it anymore - I was writing better songs, so I decided to wait until the time was right. I'm really looking forward to it coming out, the album for me is what it's all about! It's where the artist is fully showcased."

You've already collaborated with Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne, does anyone else feature on the album?
"My collaboration with Pitbull leaked on the internet, so I'm not sure what's happening with that track now. I've been super lucky with my collaborations so far, but now I'm trying to focus on me rather than the guest features."

Were you annoyed about the Pitbull song leak?
"It was frustrating, but that's the way it is now - you can't hold down anything that's digital. All it takes is for one person to have the song, and they can give it to the rest of the world in an instant."

How do they normally come about?
"Honestly, just by meeting them out and about at events. We get to know each other and then set up some studio time."

Is Nicki Minaj just as crazy in the flesh?
"She is! She's an artist in every sense of the word - everything she does, whether it's in the studio or in front of a camera, she's always that way. I think it's great!"

Would you consider working with someone outside your genre, say, Adele?
"I would love that! There's a lot that people still don't know about me. I've actually got three major music projects in the works that are very different to my current output. I think it's important for me to show people what else I can do separately rather than blending them all into one album."

How does Freeze Time compare to your previous albums?
"There are a range of emotions on there. It's essentially pop/R&B;, and some of it makes you dance and feel happy to stuff that's going to make you cry, to the real R&B; stuff that is quite sexy."

You're fronting Disney's XD Aim High project, why did you decide to support it?
"It's something I was really happy to take on. I make my living by singing, but it's how you put that status to good use that's important. It's great to be showing people the ropes about how to get in the industry - all the kids were so excited, which was fantastic. When you've been in the industry for a while, it's great to take stock and see remember where you came from."

Do shows like The X Factor create a false impression of the hard work required to be a successful singer?
"I've always found that there are loads of people out there with real talent will never get discovered. Shows like The X Factor can help that and give people the confidence to do what they want."

Are there plans for a UK tour soon?
"We're in the process of putting a proper tour together. I want to come over for an extended period of time rather than doing the odd date here and there. I want to put on a big show that I can take around the country."

Freeze Time is out on July 4. Watch the music video for his latest track 'Hit the Lights', which features Lil Wayne, below: