If you've paid any attention to the iTunes R&B chart lately, you may have noticed a fresh face trending amongst a few GRAMMY Award winners. Earlier this month, SHAH, a 22-year-old singer and songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri, appeared at #3 on the chart with his swoon-worthy single "Honest" sandwiched between Silk Sonic’s "Leave The Door Open" and Jon Batiste’s "I NEED YOU" upon its release.
SHAH has been making music since 2016, but he's made quite a commotion with "Honest." He has no hesitation in getting blunt and straight to the point as he sings to his person of interest on the slow jam. “If I’m being honest / Know you a problem / And I don’t care to solve it / I tried to stall it / But this liquor got me callin' / It got me all in / Just tryna get you out that studio apartment,” SHAH serenades. It appears that he was trying to play it cool, but, with a little help from liquid courage, he opens up and tells this person just how he feels before they slip right through his fingers.
Listening to "Honest" will trigger nostalgic feelings of a first love or crush. The song transports us to the good old days of being upstairs in your bedroom, laying across the bed, speaking low while boo-loving on the phone. The cover art for the single captures exactly that vibe.
The image depicts teenage SHAH dressed in a football jersey and ripped jeans in his bedroom with posters of his favorite artists plastered all over his wall. He's lounging on the bed talking on a corded phone with a Walkman and retro headphones next to him. SHAH shared with us that he built the set for the cover himself, homemade from the ground up in his own personal bedroom.
The singer-songwriter also shared that he has always been drawn to the spotlight from a young age, taking on modeling, acting and performing in competitive talent shows. He describes his vocal range as dynamic and is not afraid to take on experimental sounds and lyrics that merge modern R&B and 2000's pop. You can hear these sounds on "Honest" and his previously released single "Involved."
If we're being honest (sorry, we couldn't resist), SHAH is definitely one to watch. Allow him to woo you with his single "Honest" below. The song is available for purchase or to stream on various music platforms.
