Every now and then, the music industry produces an artist like Guy Sebastian who comes along and captures the world with his amazing talent and persona. Singer-songwriter Guy Sebastian has accomplished more in the past few years than most people do in a lifetime.

Since winning Australian Idol in 2003, Sebastian has a total of 26 platinum and 2 gold accreditations. He has accumulated more than 2 million sales in Australia alone and his last album; Twenty Ten was the fifth highest selling Australian artist album of 2010.

Guy has been a huge success in Australia, and the release of his debut U.S. single, “Who’s That Girl,” has made Sebastian a household name in the states. In the interview below, Sebastian dishes on the success of “Who’s That Girl,” life after winning Australian Idol, who he wants to work with in the industry and more!

L.I.M.E. –  “Who’s That Girl” is your debut U.S. single. The song has been well received in the states by people of all ages, how does it feel to be making such an impact in the U.S.?

GUY SEBASTIAN- “It feels great! Having success in the US is something I have always dreamed of happening, I feel like the harder I work the closer I am getting to making that happen.”

What or who inspired you to write the song?

“WTG was inspired by music today, the kind of party beats people are getting into lately. I took that electronic type beat and just made it into what I thought would be fun to listen to while you’re out with your friends in a club. When I wrote it I never expected the amazing response that it has had.”

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The song has also reached 4 x platinum status, so a huge congratulations on that!  You are only the 4th Australian artist to achieve that accreditation. How does it feel to have that title?

“I’m so grateful to all my fans in Australia, they have really stuck by me since winning Idol in 2003. Through all the changes in my music styles they have always seemed to embrace my songs and I feel truly blessed for that.”

Coincidentally, Eve released a track called “Who’s That Girl?” back in 2001. What made you recruit her for this song? What was it like working with her?

“Eve is so talented and I have followed her career for many years. When I wrote the song I didn’t realize that she had already written one with the same title. After I found out I instantly thought she would be perfect to cover the rap part of the song, though initially we were going to have a male rapper. I was so glad she was into doing it, she made the song what it is today.”

You have six albums under your belt; do you ever find it difficult to find new material to record or write about?

“Not at all, I am currently writing with some amazing artists and songwriters in LA. You can never be short of material if you are constantly being inspired!”

You have been actively working since winning Australian Idol in 2003; have you ever felt overwhelmed by everything that’s happened to you so far?

“All the time. I constantly sit back and let everything sort of wash over me. It’s a good way to keep yourself in-check. Without taking time to appreciate your life’s successes, you won’t be able to enjoy the time you spend working.”

You are currently one of the judges on The X-Factor (Australia). How does it feel to be on the other side of the table instead of the one performing?

“It’s really different. By being on the other side, I can really sympathize with the contestants and understand how their feeling. I know how nerve-racking it is to get up in front of millions of people and sing live. So I always try to take that into account towards the beginning of the competition.”

You have worked with John Mayer, Brian McKnight, Robin Thicke, Jordin Sparks and now Eve. Are there any artists out there you’d love to collaborate and if so why?

“They are all such talented artists, not only that they are all really  great people. It was such a pleasure to work with each of them at different points in my career. I’d love to one day work with Beyoncé or Usher, I know them both but I haven’t been able to work with them as yet.”

When you aren’t in the studio or performing, what are you up to?

“I have a gorgeous wife, Jules. When I am not working or touring I just want to spend as much time with her as possible. I also try to spend time catching up with friends and family.”

What are you currently working on? What can we expect from you next?

“I am currently in the process of writing songs for my new album. I will probably be releasing my next single within a few months. I’m also working hard on promoting ‘Who’s That Girl’ in the US as much as I can!”

For more information on Guy Sebastian, visit his official website www.GuySebastian.com.au. Be sure to follow Guy Sebastian on Twitter (@GuySebastian) for constant news and updates.

Special thanks to Guy Sebastian and Bryce Winter from Miles High Productions (www.MilesHighProductions.com).

Reggae artist Shaggy is back with a vengeance! Fans have been anxiously awaiting a new album from the “Angel” singer and finally their prayers have been answered.

After 4-years, the Grammy Award-winning singer is just days away from releasing a brand new studio album titled, Summer In Kingston. Shaggy is a veteran in the music industry, having been the only Dancehall Reggae artist to achieve a Diamond Certification for his 2001 album Hot Shot. Even with all of his achievements in the music industry, Shaggy still remains  humble, focused and personable.

L.I.M.E. recently caught-up with Shaggy during his promo stint in New York City. In this interview, Shaggy reveals the inspiration behind his new album, what he’s been up to and how he retains his longevity in the ever-changing music industry.

LIME: You recently released the song “Sugarcane” from your upcoming album, Summer In Kingston.  The song is currently No. 5 on the iTunes Reggae. How does it feel to not only be back releasing new music, but to be on the charts right out of the gate?

SHAGGY: “It feels really good. It took a minute to work it out, because we knew that whatever we were going to come with had to have a certain amount of appeal, a certain level of tongue-in-cheek, and make people want to listen to it. That was definitely the intent. So it feels great to come out with a product that sounds like Shaggy and feels like Shaggy. Overall, it’s good to have a plan and see that plan work.”

LIME:  Summer in Kingston drops July 19, what was your inspiration for this album?

SHAGGY: “I just wanted to make a feel good record. There are a lot of different sounds coming out of Jamaica and a lot of the Dancehall stuff is really dark. I’m a fan of all of it, even the dark stuff, but I think there just needs to be a balance. ‘Sugarcane’ has got that summer vibe and it’s a little bit ambiguous, so it’s fun. We’re putting out 8 tracks to start things off, and releasing it as a digital version. It’s going to be two big projects for us. I’m pretty sure I’m going to add another six tracks to it, and actually release a hard copy version of the album at that point. The main thing is to get people back into my music. The digital version of the album is going to be sold fairly cheap ($2.99 on iTunes).”

LIME:  How long did you work on Summer In Kingston before everything got mastered and put together?

SHAGGY: “The thing about Summer In Kingston is that, it’s not a album that we really made. When it came time to put the album together, it was really about us picking from over 200 songs I had recorded and seeing which ones would fit. The songs on the album are the ones that fit with what we’re trying to accomplish right now, you know songs that give you a feel good vibe.”

LIME: This will be your first studio album since 2007. Your fans want to know, what has Shaggy been up to since then?

SHAGGY: “I’ve been touring. I enjoy touring and I spend most of my time doing that. I like getting in front of an audience and having that personal & intimate connection with fans. It’s really the touring aspect that we [my team and I] focus on a lot. I realize that there are times when I have to put out new stuff for my fans, and this is just one of those times. I felt like now was the right time to do it, so I went ahead and did it.”

LIME: Going back to Summer in Kingston, the track “Fired Up (F*ck The Recession)” with Pitbull. The song is definitely a favorite of mine, because it goes against the grain.  Did you have any reservations when you first started recording it?

SHAGGY: “Nah I didn’t. The track was sent to me when I was in Australia and the minute I heard it, I was feeling the vibe and thought it was a smash. I wanted to do something everyone could relate to. I thought about it. I thought about all this stuff going on with Obama & the recession and said hey ‘F**K The Recession’ and took it from there. I approached Pitbull with it, and he thought it was hot and wanted to get on it.  The fans really responded to it, so we went with the Pitbull version.”

LIME: “Let’s take it back for a second, the track “It Wasn’t Me” off of your Hot Shot album. The song was featured on TV shows, people have used it to defend themselves in awkward situations. It really became a staple in music history. I know you fought to get that track on the album, looking back, did you ever think it would become as popular as it was and still is today?

SHAGGY:  “I don’t think anyone could predict the magnitude of that record and what became of it. I knew there was just something special about it. I felt the same way about “Boombastic” and “Angel.”  I felt they were all special records. The magnitude of that record and how it connected to the fans was just fate. That’s the big man’s doing right there.”

LIME:  You have been recording and performing for more than 20 years; do you ever find it hard to keep up with the changing times, as far as the music industry goes?

SHAGGY: “Nah because I go against the grain. I try not to keep up with it. I kinda just make music with the hope that it connects. Every artist wants to sell records and be on the charts, but the records you make to keep up with the current format, still has to have traces of you in it. You have to be true to yourself. You have to remain credible. I would say the only difficulty I’ve experienced is trying to bridge the gaps between keeping up and remaining credible at the same time.”

LIME: Putting music aside for a minute, many people don’t know that you have your own non-profit organization called the ‘Shaggy Make A Difference Foundation’ (SMADF). Could you tell my readers a little bit about it?

SHAGGY: “The foundation came about as a result of the Shaggy & Friends benefit concert. I’ve been supporting the Bustamante Hospital for Children for about 9-years prior, just out of pocket & doing whatever I could for it. The first time I went there, I was visiting a producer friend of mine and saw the conditions of the place and I promised myself that if I ever became successful, I would get a petition to help out. I got the petition, went ahead and did my best, but even then I felt like the help I was giving wasn’t enough. I saw a young girl there with a bullet in her head and it changed my whole plan. So, I said I was going to do a concert to help raise money to get this hospital as much equipment as possible. I spoke to a few people and they told me I needed to set-up a foundation. The whole process was new to me. So I said let’s go, how do we go about? I gathered as many people as I could to make it happen and we did just that. The foundation was premeditated because we jumped into it from the heart and it just developed into something big.”

LIME: What’s next for you, what are you currently working on?

SHAGGY: It’s all about promoting this record right now. Hopefully next year I can go on tour and perform in front a local audience. That’s kind of the goal right now.”

Summer In Kingston has a genuine island sound that will make you feel as though you have been whisked away to Jamaica. The album is the perfect blend of relaxation & dance tracks; thereby making it the perfect addition to any playlist.

Shaggy’s new album, Summer In Kingston will be available July 19, on  iTunes!

For more information on Shaggy and his upcoming projects, visit www.ShaggyOnline.com.  Be sure to follow Shaggy on Twitter (@DiRealShaggy) for real-time updates.

Special thanks to:  Shaggy & Michela DellaMonica of The Door l an idea house (TheDoorOnline.com).

Photo Credit: Johnathan Mannion