The Real Meaning Behind Sean Paul And Sia's Dynamite

Sean Paul and Sia are at it again, bringing their long-awaiting fans yet another hit song to liven up their days. Their second collaboration, "Dynamite," was released on October 22, five and a half years after the premiere of their first single, "Cheap Thrills." Although "Cheap Thrills" first made waves in Europe, the song quickly racked up hundreds of millions of views and streams in the American market in the latter half of summer in 2016, according to USA Today. 

The dancehall artist was a huge fan of Sia's prior to recording "Cheap Thrills" and told iHeartRadio in 2017 that he was grateful for the opportunity to work together and the success they achieved with the song. He praised the artist, saying, "She's amazing. Great voice, and just a prolific writer. She could write in any style." Although the "Chandelier" artist tends to shy away from interviews, she told Rolling Stone in 2016 that the song was originally written for Rihanna, who turned it down. Fortunately, she decided to record and release the song on her own, eventually bringing on Sean Paul to add his signature reggae beats. The resulting remix was nominated for the Best Pop Duo/ Group Performance Grammy award. 

With one best-selling hit behind them, fans are wondering if the pair's latest track will experience the same success as the first. While "Cheap Thrills" was all about having fun and doing your own thing, will the meaning behind the lyrics of "Dynamite" tell a different story this time around?

Sean Paul and Sia's latest collaboration, "Dynamite," is expected to rival their previous hit, "Cheap Thrills," in terms of views and downloads. At least that's what the Jamaican artist hopes. In a press release for the new single (via Rolling Stone), Sean Paul stated that he hopes "people gravitate toward it like [their] first single." He revealed that the meaning behind "Dynamite" was just to get people up and dancing and feeling good. "'Dynamite' started out as just a good vibe song," he said. "After recording 'Cheap Thrills' Sia and I knew we would record another single and 'Dynamite' is the second installment."

With lyrics like "Light me up and set me free" and "Tell the DJ turn up the beat / I'm ain't goin' in tonight 'til the mornin' light," per Genuis, it's clear that Sia and Sean Paul's intentions behind the song are purely to entertain and express their love for dancing, partying, and enjoying their fame and good fortune. 

This ties in with the themes in "Cheap Thrills," as the pair sung about not needing money to have a good time. "As long as I can feel the beat / I don't need no money / As long as I keep dancing," Sia sings, per Genius. It seems that Sia and Sean Paul are here to show off their "dynamite" singing and collaboration skills once again.

While neither Sia nor Sean Paul have revealed whether they will enter a third collaboration in the near future, they have both been busy working on new projects to release to their fans. 

The "No Lie" artist is set to release two albums this year, as per DancehallMag. The first, "Live N Livin," dropped in March and featured a number of collaborations with international dancehall and reggae artists. The second album, entitled "Scorcher," is set to be released by the end of the year and also includes collabs. However, in an interview with Radio Jamaica (per DancehallMag), Sean Paul reassured his fans that they will also hear a few solo tracks on the second album. The reason for two albums in one year? The COVID-19 pandemic, of course. With pauses on his tours and performances, the artist has had plenty of time to churn out new music.

As for Sia, it seems that in addition to some new music, she has been getting her feet wet in the film industry. Earlier this year, she co-wrote and directed the musical drama entitled "Music," which was met with a wave of controversy due to its portrayal of autism by a neurotypical actor and scenes showing physical restraint, according to Variety. The backlash led to Sia posting a public apology on Twitter and assuring viewers that she would take their feedback into consideration, including making a promise to issue a warning at the beginning of the movie.