Hypocrites in High Heels: How Shenseea Became the Messiah of Smut- By Brent Simon
Let us rise, sisters and brothers, and applaud Shenseea, the courageous queen of the dancehall, who has taken it upon herself to hold up a mirror to society’s “smutty” ways. With her bold lyrical choices, she reminds us that since the world is rolling in filth, we might as well roll with it. After all, if society is a mess, why not sing about it in catchy rhymes that stick in the minds of our youth like glitter to a carnival costume?
Shenseea, in her infinite wisdom, has cracked the code: If people are already engaging in morally questionable behavior, why waste time discouraging it? Why not glorify it instead? It’s a genius move, really. Nothing says progress like turning a societal vice into a party anthem. Because, as we all know, young women need more songs telling them that their worth lies in their ability to “shake it” rather than shape their futures.
The dancehall genre, once a bastion of cultural resistance and storytelling, now serves as the pied piper of poor choices, leading impressionable minds down the road of self-destruction, one bassline at a time. Young women are the hardest hit, consuming messages that equate empowerment with objectification, and confidence with their ability to attract a “sponsor” who can pay for the lifestyle Shenseea and her peers promote.
But let’s not stop there. Shenseea’s music doesn’t just reflect reality; it helps create it. Her lyrics are like a roadmap to moral mediocrity, complete with pit stops for financial dependence, shallow relationships, and the pursuit of fleeting thrills. Young girls, instead of aspiring to be leaders, thinkers, or change-makers, are encouraged to perfect their Instagram angles and master the art of twerking. After all, why strive for self-respect when you can settle for social media likes?
Yet, it’s not just the lyrics—it’s the larger dancehall culture, where the line between empowerment and exploitation blurs so thoroughly that even the most discerning listener gets dizzy. Sure, Shenseea calls out hypocrisy, but isn’t it hypocritical to claim to empower women while perpetuating the very ideals that keep them trapped in cycles of objectification and low self-esteem?
And let’s not forget the defenders who argue, “It’s just music.” Ah, yes, just like fast food is “just food” and doesn’t contribute to obesity. Music is powerful—it shapes identities, reinforces values, and molds the minds of the young. Pretending it’s harmless is like tossing a match into a forest and claiming it’s “just fire.”
So, bravo, Shenseea. You’ve held a mirror up to society. But instead of reflecting its flaws to inspire change, you’ve polished that mirror into a disco ball, spinning the same tired messages under the guise of authenticity. And the young women dancing in its glow? They deserve better than this smutty symphony. They deserve art that uplifts, inspires, and challenges—not just music that revels in the gutter and calls it honesty.
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We can’t expect any better examples of the Music & Culture from these Modern Day ‘Duncehall Artists.’ She’s Jamaican, 🇯🇲 the land of ‘lawlessness’…where anything goes and people will sell their Mother’s soul for 15 mins of fame. 😔 😟 🙁
This article is on point and the author could not have expressed it better. It is sad and scornful to see such behaviors being normalized whilst society’s moral fabric is decaying by the millisecond. We need to always maintain Godly principles and be examples to everyone so that spiritual values would be the gold standard that people strive to attain.
I am not a fan of her music but she could not influence me. I make sure my daughter know what is morally right. At the end of the day people has a choice and if they chose to follow the lyrics then there are consequences.
Well said!
YOU SOUND VERY BITTER AND GAY ASF!
This article was well written and addressed the point directly. We want to empower our women and have them treated as equals; however, we are promoting a lifestyle where they use their bodies and not their brains to get by. It is a major double standard that has staggering ramifications. We need to heed the warnings before we are past the point of no return.
As for the person who is accusing the writer of being gay because he speaks positively, perhaps he should assess his own values and abilities. Men who delight in women who can be bought are the types who have nothing else to entice women beyond a few dollars. They will live to work just to keep paying shallow women for their company. At the first sign of another man who can fund an even more expensive lifestyle, the women will leave them without a second thought.
Brent, your article is very well written, but unsurprisingly, rife with misogyny.
“The dancehall genre, once a bastion of cultural resistance and storytelling, now serves as the pied piper of poor choices”
When exactly did the dancehall genre perpetuate anything other than slackness? Yes there are some songs about overcoming (Alkalina, Ocean Wave for example and even some that could be seen as love songs – Sean Paul’s Like Glue) but for the most part it’s just varying levels of vulgarity. Patra sang about being Queen of the Pack while Lady Saw sang about flinging it up from the left.
But female dancehall artists often (not always) pen ballads in response to the two most popular topics of male dancehall anthem: the degradation of women (/general misogyny) and bad man lifestyle.
Beenie Man: ‘The one burner business nah work again. Cause one man fi have all fifty gyalfriend/Man ah fi hav’ nuff gyal and gyal inna bundle’ (Encouraging promiscuity and infidelity)
Sean Paul: ‘Woman nuh wan’ nuh bait, dem nah go feel violate if yuh accelerate pon a date. Dem wan’ yuh infiltrate, woman dem wan’ yuh tear down dem wall and dem gate you nuh hear wah me state’ (which can be interpreted as him saying women WANT men to sexually assault them on the first date….??)
Vybz Kartel: ‘Tek buddy gyal, you think me easy?/Gyal haffi tek buddy, dat ah dem mission. Backshot, side shot, any position’ (Self explanatory female objectification)
vs.
Lady Saw: ‘Man is the least ah mi problem… so me lef’ idiot fi hav’ them’
Macka Diamond: ‘Tek con boy, you think p*ssy free?/Gi me clothes gi me shoes gi me TV, not even in a panty you ah go see me’
Shenseea: ‘Me too young fi lockdown with nobody. I pray one day somebody keep your company. And a gyal like me just wan’ have fun and more money But you a pree relationship and that’s a no for me’
Music and other forms of art are a reflection of the culture. Male dancehall artists are always singing about using women or giving them at most a box of Kentucky (‘If a boy slam dem two time well dem gyal deh lucky. And if she get subben is a box of Kentucky’ – Good Hole/Lexxus)
Shenseea’s music does reflect reality. Unfortunately in our culture relationships are overwhelmingly transactional. If one version of women’s empowerment is to encourage women to demand more from men than empty promises and a box of kentucky then kudos to them.
It’s up to adults who know better to do better. Let us learn to respect ourselves and if we have children to be present and raise them properly with good values. Teach your children to respect themselves. If they do, when they hear nonsense, vulgar dancheall or otherwise they will tune it out and be unaffected.
She made her money and you monkeys are hating, typical Antiguan clowns.
Some of u so jealous n bitter that even in yll sleep u all calling jamaica name,see how important that country is to yll, that it’s name b yll toothpaste n toothpaste
Move unuh stinking rasshole yall are one bunch a hypocrite always have problem with everything Jamaicans do but yet yall try to imitate them so bad yall talking about the morals but yet yall don’t keep the same energy when yall own artistes sing about the same thing ever soca song tell you to gyrate and behave vulgar nobody keeps the same energy but a guess is dancehall strength yall have keep the same energy for the the ones that wah kick in the back door and tell you that ppl man comfortable that’s the ok lifestyle??? Woooow
Thats it bla bla! thats what you are doing. as soon as someone say something that doesn’t suits your narrative.first thing yall said people don’t love Jamaicas.its stupid people like you they don’t like.and some Jamaicans like you don’t even like Jamaica thats why yall catching in people country and hate them. Stay in your country and build um..stupid!!