We chatted to pop sensation SHAB about her luscious new single, ‘LIPSTICK,’ paying homage to ’80s pop and exploring how femininity and empowerment go hand in hand….
LIPSTICK seems like the right pop anthem to kick off the summer season. Did you might have sun-soaked events and dreamy dancefloors in thoughts when creating it?
After we went into the studio to compose LIPSTICK, we actually didn’t have far more in thoughts than making a summertime monitor with an ‘80s pop vibe. I’ve at all times beloved these varieties of summer season songs from my youth – like CRUISIN’ by Smokey Robinson or CRUEL SUMMER by Bananarama and even MALIBU by Miley Cyrus — and wished to create one thing that had these echoes.
After we had figured the melody for the primary verse, the refrain kinda fell into line after that – and I positively wished a sing-along phase for my women, withChampagne on ice proving an awesome lead-in. And after we had been accomplished with that first day of manufacturing, all of us knew that we had one thing probably particular.
Taken out of your acclaimed album One Suitcase, the monitor embraces femininity and being unapologetically your self. How does that message mirror the place you’re proper now by way of confidence and self-assurance?
I’m extra assured, confident and comfy in my very own pores and skin than at another time of my life. It took me a couple of years, however I used to be lastly in a position to rid my mindset of the backward ideas of womanhood as a second-class citizen that crammed my head throughout my youth — and my mindset is absolutely remodeled to that of feminine empowerment, independence and equality
Are you able to stroll us by means of the inventive course of behind the monitor? Did it begin with a melody, a rhythm, or a lyrical thought?
The track began with the beats and melody for the primary verse — which at all times comes fairly simply with my frequent songwriting companions Eric Zayne & Naz Tokio – after which we determined to begin playing around with some lyrics. Eric & Naz ordered me into the vocal sales space and instructed me to begin freestyling some lyrics: and the primary phrases that actually got here out of my mouth had been Take part of me | Should you actually need it, Boy | Need it dangerous for me | You’re at all times wanting extra.
And that’s how the track got here collectively. Sadly, you’ll solely hear that verse on the album model because the track as we needed to abbreviate the monitor for a radio edit – and the second a part of the primary verse on the album model of LIPSTICK was the simplest potion to sacrifice!
The track has an immediately feel-good vitality, echoing the arrogance enhance many people get from swiping on our favorite lipstick. Do you might have a go-to shade that’s at all times in your bag and by no means fails to raise your spirits?
I at all times be taught in the direction of crimson shades – in all probability my favourite is British Purple, Shade 350 from L’Oreal.
Whereas we love the track’s infectious refrain, the video is simply as fascinating. What was the inspiration behind the visible idea?
Our workforce was agreed with my Artistic co-Administrators Richy Jackson & Eli Sokhn that we must always discover a theme for the official music video that was pretty simplistic, a bit campy and true to the ’80s vibe of the music monitor. We rapidly resolved a remedy from these conversations that echoed the identical sensibility in audio monitor.
The styling is beautiful: assume 80s Hollywood, massive beehives, and naturally, daring crimson lipstick. How did the visible aesthetic and vogue decisions come collectively?
We wished to deliver viewers of the video again to the Nineteen Eighties – an outdated BMW 300 sequence convertible, massive hair, SuperGlam styling. We wished my followers to hark again to a extra carefree time with some fond nostalgia with a view to echo the vibe of the audio monitor. And that’s my automotive’s precise license plate on the convertible!
You lately accomplished a profitable radio tour throughout the U.S. to have a good timeOne Suitcase. What was it like performing your songs in such intimate settings and sharing the album’s empowering message firsthand?
The nationwide radio & TV promotional tour was each some of the gratifying but in addition most grueling undertakings that I thus far accomplished in my profession. We had been usually hitting three or 4 completely different venues in a day, generally three completely different cities in a day. We spent in all probability near eighty hours in a aircraft and as many in leases automobiles to get to our commitments and by no means spent two nights in the identical resort over eight weeks. But it surely allowed us to satisfy with a few of the seniormost radio programmers in America, most of whom had been unaware of my work easy resulting from the truth that we’d by no means accomplished a lot radio promotional work.
And let me let you know: it’s much more nerve-racking to carry out acoustically on an impromptu foundation in entrance of two dozen members of a company radio programming employees on an in-studio efficiency stage than it’s to do a produced set for 20,000 folks at The O2! I imply, it wasn’t till I had carried out the album’s title monitor, ONE SUITCASE, roughly a half dozen instances that I may get by means of the track with out tearing up!
However I beloved the tour. Possibly as a lot as something, performing these songs on that tour and in these settings ingrained them into my soul.
What’s subsequent after Lipstick? Are you already engaged on new music?
In fact I’m already engaged on new music!
Most likely subsequent up for the notice of your viewers would be the summertime launch of the official music video for DANCE TIL YOU’RE FREE. One thing that my listeners might not perceive is that DANCE TIL YOU’RE FREE was at all times supposed as a liberation track – and also you’ll see that the music video drives dwelling that time, because it’s a complete Eff You addressed to the fundamentalist Gangster Regime in Tehran.
By late summer season, I can even in all probability be releasing an EP of 4 digital dance songs that had been composed working collectively throughout this previous April with Valentijn Hoogwarf, who’s the Dutch half of the unbelievable EDM duo of Avalan Rokston.
We’re hoping for some applicable touring alternatives throughout the latter half of 2025 – and I’m already 5 songs into my subsequent album, which ought to be launched no later than mid-2026.