Essentially Pop talks to pop sensation SHAB on her new single ‘Afterglow’ the story behind her highly-anticipated album ‘One Suitcase’ and what listeners can expect.
Congratulations on your new single ‘Afterglow’!’ In your own words, can you tell us more about the inspiration behind this song and what listeners can expect?
Thanks for the affirmation — and I am pretty proud of ‘Afterglow,’ which is the first song that I have released which departs from more traditional dance rhythms of my earlier work. The song was a collaboration with my long-term producer Damon Sharpe and the brllliant British-American hitmaker, JHart. The song was inspired by certain AfroBeat tracks to which I have been listening over the last couple of years, which vibe with a lot of the Middle Eastern beats to which I have been listening throughout my life.
You’ve announced your second album, ‘One Suitcase’, alongside ‘Afterglow’. How does this new album build upon your personal journey as an artist?
I’ve about other musical artists who, when talking about their own experience, have emphasized their need to grow and evolve their music stylings. I now understand what they meant, as I have felt the need to both transform with the times as well as delve deeper into my own experiences.
There will be a number of different stylings on the album, all of which are rooted in the music that I have encountered in the Middle East, Europe and the West throughout my life. So while my fans expect more traditional dance beats, I think they will be surprised by the breadth and scope of the songs on this double album.
Could you share with us what this title ‘One Suitcase’ signifies for you?
I was born at the outside of the Fundamentalist Revolution in Iran and, due to my familial situation, my family became targets of the gangster regime in Tehran. My father died when I was 6 months old due to the stresses of those persecutions, leaving my mother — stripped of our familial wealth — to raise her 13 children, of which I am the youngest.
My family fled Iran when I was 8 years old, at which time I was sent to boarding school in Germany until I was 14 years old. And I arrived in America alone on a Lufthansa flight that landed in New York, speaking no English and carrying all of my worldly possessions in a single handcarried suitcase.
And that’s the story behind ‘One Suitcase.’
‘Afterglow’ is described as a blend of sun-soaked pop with infectious rhythms. How did the collaboration with Damon Sharpe and JHart enhance the sound and feel of this single?
Damon & JHart brought a whole new sensibility to a sound that we were already working but had not fully flushed out as of yet. And while it’s always great working with Damon, JHart is such a fantastic guy that I could not wait to get into the studio on the days that we were scheduled for sessions.
Your music often carries powerful messages of resilience and hope. How do you hope ‘Afterglow’ and ‘One Suitcase’ will resonate with your audience, particularly in light of World Refugee Day?
I want people who listen to ‘ONE SUITCASE’ and who hear my story – particularly for those who are refugees — to know that the promise of Western Civilization is real and tangible. Challenges in life can be brutal: but if you throw yourself headlong into life and your new surroundings with zeal, the promise of a better world and life will soon be revealed. But you cannot realize the promise of that better future if you do not believe in the first place.
Reminiscing on your journey from Iran to becoming a global pop sensation, how has your experience helped to shape your music and career aspirations?
My experience as an immigrant has made me realize that rarely do meaningful advancements in life occur in the absence of hard work. And when I see as to how much I have been blessed by God, it only makes me want to work harder – not only as an entertainer, but as a Mom as well.
2023 was a significant year for you with hits like ‘Voodoo’ and ‘Indestructible’. How does ‘Afterglow’ fit into your evolving artistic vision for 2024 and beyond?
‘Afterglow’ marks a shift in my stylings and musical sensibilities. While my prior releases were styled by others as World Pop, I am going to be doubling down in this regard and bringing even more cultural significance to my future songs and work. And when you hear ‘One Suitcase,” I think that you will understand what I mean.
Your advocacy for women’s rights in Iran is well-known. How do you use your platform as an artist to amplify these important issues, and what role does your music play in advocating for change?
That’s a difficult question for me — as I frankly think that, in regard to political matters, entertainers have no defensible rationale to insist that their voices be heard louder than others. But while I stay away from partisan politics, I do think that entertainers can validly raise public consciousness as to fundamental issues of humanity: whether it’s famine in Africa or base violations of human rights or other situations that scream out for third party awareness. And the plight of women in Iran, a nation which once had a relatively modern and sophisticated social order but was plunged into misogyny and darkness, is for me such a situation.
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the rest of 2024? Are there any new collaborations or projects on the horizon that your fans can look forward to?
The music video for ‘Afterglow’ should be online by the time that this interview appears – and this first single from ‘One Suitcase’ will be followed by a fun and energized second release from the album called ‘Swerve.’ The video for ‘Swerve’ was great fun to make as my Creative Directors Richy Jackson & Eli Sokhn conceptualized a choreographed team dance that incorporates a squad of lady street bikers! Just wait!
And then ‘One Suitcase’ will drop at some point in October – and I can’t wait for people to hear this labor of love.
We are also hoping to have some news concerning live performances – and maybe a new your during the coming months of 2024.
And with all that said: we’re already back to work on some more musical output that you should hear during early 2025!
