• News

• All

Jul 16, 2020 Shamir By Samantha Small

Shamir has announced an upcoming new album, Shamir, which will be released independently on October 2. In addition, he’s released the self-directed video for new single “I Wonder.” Watch and listen below. Also below is the album’s cover art.

“I Wonder” is a sweet mix of a rock ballad backed by a groovy midi-beat. The video finds three different Shamir’s in front of a tinted screen singing together: “And I wonder/If you’ll be the death of me.”

Inspired by the imagery in a Keith Haring video, in a press release Shamir explains the meaning behind the track: “The song is about the feeling of love taking over your heart, even when you don’t want it to. It also alludes to climate change and how humans (‘love’) can be the most toxic thing to the planet (‘the heart’), but also the only thing that can fix it.”

Although Shamir launched his own label, Accidental Popstar Records, the album will be released independently. But not without some help. He teamed up with songwriting Lindi Ortega and producer Kyle Pulley (Hop Along, Diet Cig, Adult Mom, Kississippi) for a number of tracks.

After previously releasing the “accidental quarantine anthem,” “On My Own” (which was one of our Songs of the Week) the singer teased his forthcoming album is going to be his “most commercial album yet” since his debut Ratchet. He hinted it will rework ’90s pop tropes to produce a record that is, as he states, “the most me.”

At just 19 years old, Shamir gained traction as a R&B dance pop artist. But, he never released two similar sounding records. It could sound like guitar-driven indie, punk, or even have a country twang—no matter what, the records always prove Shamir is one of the most interesting artists right now.

Read our COVID-19 Artist Check In with Shamir.

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.