The meaning of “Blessed” comes down to confidence and gratitude. Shenseea’s 2019 single with Tyga is about being proud of what she has achieved while still thanking God for her life.
Billboard described the message in its 2019 coverage as simple: Shenseea isn’t afraid to claim any crown that belongs to her, but she also remains humble while giving thanks for life. The song was her first release on a major label, and it is still one of her best-known records.
The Story Behind the Song
“Blessed” arrived in May 2019, when Shenseea had just signed with Rich Immigrants, the imprint run by producer Rvssian under Interscope Records.
In May 2019, The Fader reported that in celebration of the signing, she dropped the new single. Billboard’s May 22, 2019 report called it her major-label debut single and said her signing was a historic first for the label.
The Power 106 report from May 2019 said “Blessed” is the first time Shenseea and Tyga are collaborating.
Rvssian produced the track. Billboard said in 2019 that his beat fuses the energetic vibes found in Latin trap and dancehall, and The Fader noted the production was inspired by “Mi Gente.”
World Music Views reported in 2023 that Blessed was co-written by Shenseea, Theron Thomas, Sam Sumser, Sean Small, and Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor.
The Lyrics Explained
The song starts with a morning routine. Shenseea wakes up, thanks God for her life, and then looks in the mirror and tells herself she is the best.
That pairing of faith and self-belief runs through the whole song. The title word keeps coming back as her answer to anyone who doubts her.
The Fader’s 2019 headline called the song “an unrivaled flex” and said that even with Tyga on it, really, it’s all about Shenseea here.
Hypebeast put it this way in 2019: Shenseea has no time for complaints in the song, confirming to herself that she’s at the top of her game. In the verses she brushes off rivals and says she has never needed to fake anything to get where she is.
Billboard called Tyga’s part his succint yet braggadocious guest verse. Hypebeast pointed out that he opens by bragging about spending 450 on a necklace, which matches Shenseea’s theme of success with his own showing off.
Shenseea has linked her humility to faith in later interviews too. In 2022 she told a Billboard and Honda panel, as reported by DancehallMag: “I remain humble after having so much success in my career because I’m close to God.”
The Music Video
Arrad directed the video, which was released alongside the song. Reports disagree on where it was filmed. Billboard said in 2019 that it showed the pair dominating the streets of Kingston, Jamaica. Hypebeast and Power 106 both said it was shot in Montego Bay.
The video got the most attention for one scene. In August 2019, 76crimes, citing The Face, wrote that around 13 seconds in, the camera focuses on Shenseea undressed in bed with another woman. A few days before the video came out, she had posted Instagram photos of herself in bed with a woman.
The Jamaica Observer reported in May 2019 that fans called it out as promo for her new collab with Tyga. Jaevion Nelson, executive director of J-FLAG, called her pictures “raw, radical, and disruptive.”
In a 2020 Guardian interview, quoted by Music Musings and Such, Shenseea was asked if she meant to become a gay icon. She answered “Of course!” Asked if the scene was playing to the male gaze, she said “That too”.
Release Date and Album Placement
Sources give different release dates. Apple Music lists the single as released May 22, 2019, which matches Billboard. DancehallMag reported in 2022 that the video came out on May 19, 2019. That is also the date of Shenseea’s behind-the-scenes Instagram post from the shoot.
The song was later included on her debut album, Alpha, which was released March 11, 2022. Sources also disagree about which single led the album.
World Music Views calls “Blessed” the lead single from Shenseea’s debut album “Alpha.” Wikipedia’s page for “Lick” says that song was the lead single.
Chart Performance and Certification
DancehallMag reported in April 2022 that the song peaked at No. 2 on the discontinued Billboard Reggae Digital Song Sales chart, where it spent six weeks. It also peaked at No. 33 on the Rhythmic Audience chart and No. 37 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart.
On April 11, 2022, Music Canada certified “Blessed” Gold after it passed 40,000 units. DancehallMag said at the time that this is the first Gold certification for Shenseea in the US, UK, or Canada. When told about it, she answered with the song’s title: “I am blessed,” she told DancehallMag.
Streaming totals depend on when they were measured. World Music Views reported over 56.6 million Spotify streams in 2023 and called it her most-streamed song on the platform at the time.
ChartMasters, in a 2026 update, lists 75,787,968 Spotify streams. The video had more than 58 million YouTube views as of April 2022, according to the Jamaica Observer.
