In this interview, Persian-American pop artist Shab opens up about her new single ‘It’s On You,’ the Afro-House rhythms that inspired it, and the unexpected collaborations that brought it to life – including working with rising star Preston Harris.
From serendipitous studio sessions, experimenting with her sound to using her platform to raise awareness about global issues, she shares the story behind this defining track in her evolving career…
Can you walk us through your new single, ‘It’s On You’, and the inspiration behind it?
Shortly before a February 2025 trip overseas, I came across what I thought an extraordinary song buy an EDM artist that I had never heard before — the song was SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN by the Amsterdam-based duo Avalon Rokston.
When I returned stateside, I reach down to my co-manager and longtime producer Damon Sharpe and asked as to how I could work with those guys – and to my shock, Damon replied that he knew Valentijn Hoogerrf, the AVALAN of Avalon Rockston.
So Damon made the ReachOut to Valentijn, despite the fact that I only had one week free to work on new songs during the middle of a very aggressive radio &:TV promotional tour. To our shock, But as it turned out, it just so happened that Valentijn was planning to come to Los Angeles for Coachella during the week that I was available. And we spent two days in the studio bookending Valentijn’s Coachella visit — and the songs flowed so freely that we knocked out four demos in two days. IT’S ON YOU was the first track that we demo’ed, and the rest is history.
The track leans into Afro House, a genre that often carries a deeply rhythmic, almost hypnotic energy. What drew you to that sound?
I eventually been listening to a lot of AfroHouse over the last three years: And you can see that a couple of songs released on ONE SUITCASE last year were inspired by AfroHouse. The rhythms of AfroHouse are not totally unlike the Persian beats to which I have listened throughout my life.
How does it feel to be working with an acclaimed vocalist/songwriter like Preston Harris, who has collaborated with cultural giants such as Kendrick Lamar?
The story behind my collaboration with Preston was similar to my experience with Avalan Rokston. I heard Preston’sSong with Hugel, LOOSEN UP, and fell in love with the track. Again, I reached out to Damon to know if he knew anyone who knew Preston, with the answer being Damon himself. And the next thing that you know, Preston agreed to do IT’S ON YOU as a duet with me.
Together, your voices move like a conversation, with both performances feeling powerful and vulnerable. How did your collaboration and vocal chemistry enhance the song’s emotional and melodic core?
Well, I don’t know exactly how it happened, but I think our voices sound pretty awesome together. Damon did a great job producing the record over the course of intermittent sessions over the next few months, and the result was a happy convergence of vocal chemistry and production expertise.
What have you learned from this collaboration overall?
I guess the only thing that I’ve really learned is how much I want to do more collaborations!
You’ve built a catalogue that is emotional, electronic, and globally resonant, with hits like ‘Lipstick’ and ‘Skin & Bones’ firmly establishing you within the dance and pop charts. How does this new track differ from your previous releases, both personally and sonically?
Well, it’s my first track that fits pretty well within the Electronic Dance Music. Well, I am always exploring new types and genres of music I probably listen to more EDM than any other segment. And it was pretty cool to be able to work with an emerging legend like Preston Harris on my first exploration in the genre.
Advocacy plays a meaningful role in your public voice. With the ongoing situation in Iran – where nationwide protests and significant human rights violations continue to unfold – how do you feel your platform can contribute to raising global awareness and supporting freedom and dignity there?
I have been first and foremost focused on trying to raise the temperature and awareness on what’s going on in Iran. I think that it’s astounding that my industry has been so relatively quiet as to the atrocities that have been commanded by the gangster regime that rules in Tehran – and kudos out to Yungblud, who has been one of the American artists who has been trying to shed light on this issue for his audience.
I am a Persian American artist making pop music mainly for Western audiences who are largely uninformed about the realities of that global region. If I can make just a few people more aware of the horrible situation that has enslaved my Persian brothers and sisters for almost five decades, it’s a start.
In your empowering single ‘Dance Til You’re Free’, an ode to liberation, do you believe music can be an effective way to spread that message and unite listeners?
Maybe: but then again, maybe not. When you look at the history of music that has had a decidedly political stance, there are only a small minority of such songs that I’ve had a significant societal impact. And I frankly think in retrospect that my primary intention with DANCE TIL YOU’RE FREE was to encourage Iranians and let them know that they were not alone..
With over 25 million YouTube views and millions of Spotify streams worldwide, how do you personally define success at this stage in your career?
I’m not sure as to how to define SUCCESS in that regard. I feel that I am having a dramatic growth spurt as an artist and so much more to accomplish. But whatever level that I reach during 2026 only reminds me that there are an endless number of mountains left to climb.
What conversations are you hoping ‘It’s On You’ sparks in listeners’ own lives?
Well, I’m hoping that a lot of those conversations start with the question WHO IN THE HELL IS THIS SHAB GIRL?
