Tomahawk Technique

Tomahawk Technique
Studio album by Sean Paul
Released	24 January 2012 (2012-01-24)
Genre	Trance'n'B[1]
Length	47:25
Label	VP Atlantic
Producer	Benny Blanco Coppershaun DJ Ammo Earl & E Eau de Gammes Conroy Forte Jigzagula Rico Love Pierre Medor Dwayne "D-Town" Nesmith Sean Paul Shellback Stargate
Sean Paul chronology
Imperial Blaze (2009) Tomahawk Technique (2012) Full Frequency (2014)
Singles from Tomahawk Technique
"Got 2 Luv U" Released: 19 July 2011 "She Doesn't Mind" Released: 31 October 2011 "Hold On" Released: 7 February 2012 "Dream Girl" Released: 28 March 2012 "How Deep Is Your Love" Released: 24 July 2012 "Touch the Sky" Released: 3 August 2012

Tomahawk Technique is the fifth studio album by the Jamaican rapper and singer Sean Paul. It was released by Atlantic Records in several countries beginning on 24 January 2012, with a US release in September 2012. Tomahawk Technique was nominated for Best Reggae Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, earning Paul his second nomination in that category after Imperial Blaze (2009).

Background

Sean said to the music blog Rap-Up that Akon, Stargate, DJ Ammo, Benny Blanco, and Kelly Rowland, would appear on the album.^[2] "There's a broadening of my artistry, I’m working with other producers and artists I’ve never worked with," the Jamaican DJ told Reuters at the recent KIIS FM Jingle Bell Ball in Los Angeles. Tomahawk Technique follows the success of the singer's 2009's record Imperial Blaze. For the new CD, he has teamed up with producers Rico Love, Benny Blanco and Stargate, who have been behind artists such as Katy Perry, Rihanna and Natasha Bedingfield, to work on his new album. "What’s going to surprise fans is that there’s a lot more singing, more high notes that I never used to do before," said Paul, adding "it’s a mixture of pop music into dance music."^[3]

"I’m trying to bridge the gap, broaden my artistry," Sean told Rap-Up TV. "I’m asking [the producers] to try and make dancehall from their perspective. So it’s sounding more international than dancehall."^[4] The album's Japanese version features an upcoming Jamaican singer/songwriter, Zia Benjamin,^[5] as well as a remix of the song "Dream Girl" featuring Japanese artiste, Lecca.

Singles

The first single "Got 2 Luv U" features vocals from American singer Alexis Jordan. It was released on 19 July 2011 by Atlantic Records. The song was written by Sean Paul, Ryan Tedder and Stargate, and Stargate produced it.^[6][7] It reached number 1 in Switzerland and the Top 10 in several countries worldwide. "She Doesn't Mind" was released as the second single taken from Tomahawk Technique. It was written by Sean Paul, Shellback and Benny Blanco and was produced by Shellback and Benny Blanco. It was released on 29 September 2011 on NRJ & Skyrock (French radios), and to iTunes on 31 October.^[8] Like its predecessor, "She Doesn't Mind" topped the Swiss Singles Chart as well as the Austrian Singles chart and reached top-ten in many other European territories. "Hold On" was released as the third single in February 2012. It reached number 1 in Belgium and number 35 in France. "Dream Girl (remix)" featuring Lecca was released as a single in Japan on 28 March 2012 while in the United States, "How Deep Is Your Love" featuring Kelly Rowland was released as the fifth single on 24 July 2012. The single has so far reached number seventy-two in Switzerland.^[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	48/100[10]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
The Guardian	[12]
NME	[1]
Now	[13]

The Guardian editor Paul MacInnes described Tomahawk Technique as a "clash of powerful forces: the irrepressible charm of Sean Paul against the intolerable global pop sound. Who will win: the Jamaican star whose 2003 Dutty Rock album brought dancehall to the charts, or the squealing, amped-up trance that is ubiquitous in 2012, from Rihanna to LMFAO? The head says the latter."^[12] AllMusic critic David Jeffries wroe that Tomahawk Technique "feels like a play for the world with its Black Eyed Peas and Flo Rida-styled club tracks, the best of which has to be the slow-stepping "Got 2 Luv U." [...] A couple more true dancehall tracks would have made this feel more natural. Straying far from home, Tomahawk Technique isn't an awful Sean Paul album, but it is an odd one."^[11]

NME's Rebecca Schiller found that "sadly, his creative decline continues on his fifth studio album, Tomahawk Technique, which is – trance'n'b-meddling album lowlight "Touch The Sky" aside – a lacklustre collection of what sounds like pallid versions of previous hits. Missile launch failed."^[1] Anupa Mistry, writing for Now, felt that "it's been sad to see Sean Paul ditch that sexed-up specificity for shameless, sanitized synth pop in the key of, like, everyone else. Past the dancehall signifiers (Paul's increasingly strained lilt and tepid syncopated pulse), the new record is brazenly mediocre. When you’re finished pretending to care, put on Popcaan instead."^[13]

Track listing

Tomahawk Technique track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Got 2 Luv U" (featuring Alexis Jordan)	Sean Henriques Ryan Tedder Mikkel Eriksen Tor Hermansen	StarGate	3:16
2.	"She Doesn't Mind"	S. Henriques J. Henriques Karl Schuster Benjamin Levin	Shellback Benny Blanco	3:47
3.	"Body"	S. Henriques Richard Butler, Jr. Earl Hood Eric Goudy II	Rico Love Earl & E	4:10
4.	"What I Want"	S. Henriques Butler Hood Goudy	Love Earl & E	3:57
5.	"Won't Stop (Turn Me Out)"	S. Henriques Butler Pierre Medor	Love Medor	4:14
6.	"Dream Girl"	S. Henriques Butler Dwayne "D-Town" Nesmith	Love Nesmith	3:54
7.	"Hold On"	S. Henriques Butler Medor	Love Medor	4:08
8.	"How Deep Is Your Love" (featuring Kelly Rowland)	S. Henriques J. Henriques Ester Dean Eriksen Hermansen	StarGate	3:20
9.	"Put It on You"	S. Henriques Daniel Omelio Ammar Malik Eriksen Hermansen	StarGate	3:35
10.	"Roll wid di Don"	S. Henriques J. Henriques Shaun Anderson Nigel Staff	Sean Paul Jigzagula Coppershaun	3:42
11.	"Touch the Sky" (featuring DJ Ammo)	S. Henriques Damien Leroy	DJ Ammo	3:52
12.	"Wedding Crashers" (featuring Future Fambo)	S. Henriques Wayne Mitchell Ryan Chin Jathneil Randal Warren Gladstone Williams Conroy Forte	Conroy Forte	3:01
13.	"Waya Waya" (Tal featuring Sean Paul)	S. Henriques L'Aura Marciano	Eau de Gammes	2:29
Total length:				47:25

Japan limited edition additional tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"Standing There" (featuring Zia Benjamin)	S. Henriques Zia Benjamin	JA Productions	3:06
14.	"Dream Girl (Remix)" (featuring Lecca)		Love Nesmith	3:56
15.	"SP's Dutty Rock Decade Megamix by Delta Force"		Delta Force	9:59

France bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"Waya Waya" (Tal featuring Sean Paul)	S. Henriques L'Aura Marciano	Eau de Gammes	2:29

iTunes pre-order bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"Waya Waya" (Tal featuring Sean Paul)	S. Henriques L'Aura Marciano	Eau de Gammes	2:29
14.	"My Life" (featuring Wayne Marshall)		Jam2	3:02

Notes

• " SP's Dutty Rock Decade Megamix by Delta Force" includes "International Affair", "Like Glue", "Give It Up to Me", "Get Busy", "Ever Blazin'", "Gimme the Light", "We Be Burning", "Temperature", "So Fine", and "Hold My Hand"

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Tomahawk Technique Chart (2012) Peak position Australian Urban Albums (ARIA)[14] 11 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[15] 7 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 51 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[17] 10 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[18] 39 French Albums (SNEP)[19] 5 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[20] 6 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[21] 22 Scottish Albums (OCC)[22] 90 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 3 UK Albums (OCC)[24] 34 US Reggae Albums (Billboard)[25] 2

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Tomahawk Technique Chart (2012) Position French Albums (SNEP)[26] 118 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[27] 90 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 34

Certifications

Sales and certifications for Tomahawk Technique

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[29]	Gold	50,000^*
Germany (BVMI)[30]	Gold	100,000^‡
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[31]	Gold	15,000^^
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Tomahawk Technique release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Japan	24 January 2012	Digital download	Atlantic Records
Sweden				[32]
Spain				[33]
Finland				[34]
Denmark				[35]
Portugal				[36]
Norway				[37]
New Zealand				[38]
Netherlands				[39]
Luxembourg				[40]
Italy				[41]
Belgium	27 January 2012
France
Switzerland
Austria	17 February 2012	CD digital download		[42]
Germany
Japan	22 February 2012	CD
Ireland	2 April 2012	CD digital download		[42]
United Kingdom
Australia	6 April 2012
United States	18 September 2012

References

1. "Sean Paul - 'Tomahawk Technique'". NME. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
2. Video on YouTube
3. "Sean Paul says new album will surprise fans - Entertainment". Dawn.com. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
4. "Sean Paul Reveals Cover Art, Tracklisting for 'Tomahawk Technique'". Rap-Up. 27 December 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
5. [1] Archived 9 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine
6. "ACE Title Search - GOT 2 LUV YA". ASCAP. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
7. Chapman, Alex (21 July 2011). "Sean Paul Releases 'Got 2 Love U' Single, Taps Akon for New Album". Billboatd. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
8. "She Doesn't Mind - Single by Sean Paul on Apple Music". iTunes. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
9. Steffen Hung. "Sean Paul feat. Kelly Rowland - How Deep Is Your Love". Swisscharts.com. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
10. "Critic Reviews for Tomahawk Technique". Metacritic. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
11. Jeffries, David (30 January 2012). "Tomahawk Technique, Sean Paul". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
12. MacInnes, Paul. "Sean Paul: Tomahawk Technique – review | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
13. "Sean Paul - Tomahawk Technique | NOW Magazine". Now. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
14. "Top 40 Urban Albums & Singles Chart - Australian Record Industry Association". Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
15. "Austriancharts.at – Sean Paul – Tomahawk Technique" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
16. "Ultratop.be – Sean Paul – Tomahawk Technique" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
17. "Ultratop.be – Sean Paul – Tomahawk Technique" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
18. "Dutchcharts.nl – Sean Paul – Tomahawk Technique" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
19. "Lescharts.com – Sean Paul – Tomahawk Technique". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
20. "Offiziellecharts.de – Sean Paul – Tomahawk Technique" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
21. トマホーク・テクニーク (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
22. "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 14/4/2012 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
23. "Swisscharts.com – Sean Paul – Tomahawk Technique". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
24. "Official Albums Chart on 14/4/2012 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
25. "Sean Paul Chart History (Reggae Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
26. "Top de l'année Top Albums 2012" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
27. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
28. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2012". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
29. "French album certifications – Sean Paul – Tomahawk Technique" (PDF) (in French). SNEP. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
30. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Sean Paul; 'Tomahawk Technique')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
31. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Tomahawk Technique')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
32. "Tomahawk Technique av Sean Paul på Apple Music". iTunes. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
33. "Tomahawk Technique de Sean Paul en Apple Music". iTunes. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
34. "Tomahawk Technique by Sean Paul on Apple Music". iTunes. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
35. "Tomahawk Technique by Sean Paul on Apple Music". iTunes. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
36. "Tomahawk Technique de Sean Paul na Apple Music". iTunes. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
37. "Tomahawk Technique by Sean Paul on Apple Music". iTunes. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
38. "Tomahawk Technique by Sean Paul on Apple Music". iTunes. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
39. "'Tomahawk Technique' van Sean Paul op Apple Music". iTunes. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
40. "Tomahawk Technique by Sean Paul on Apple Music". iTunes. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
41. "Tomahawk Technique di Sean Paul su Apple Music". iTunes. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
42. "Sean Paul Reveals Cover Art, Tracklisting for 'Tomahawk Technique'". Rap-Up. 27 December 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2016.

External links

• Tomahawk Technique at Metacritic