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Photography: Jack Alexander l Styling: Natalie Fajer Wood l Makeup: Min Sandhu l Hair: Lauraine Bailey

Words: Miles Holder

SHAB has walked many roads to lead her to the path she walks today. From arriving in New York as a teenager with a single suitcase, to building a catalogue of global dance and pop hits, her career has steadily expanded through resilience, storytelling and an instinct for emotionally charged club music.In recent years she has grown into an artist whose work exists as both entertainment and expression, channeling personal history, cultural identity and unapologetic pop ambition into a sound that resonates far beyond the dancefloor.

Released on 27 February, her latest single ‘It’s On You’ marked another step in that evolution. The hypnotic Afro House-influenced duet, created alongside rising EDM vocalist and songwriter Preston Harris, brought together two artists with a shared instinct for blending intimacy with high-energy production.

In conversation, SHAB reflects on collaboration, creative freedom and the long-term direction of an artist who is still very much defining what global pop stardom looks like on her own terms.

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Your new track It’s On You feels like perfect summertime music. How did the collaboration on that song come together?

I actually wrote the song with Avalan Rokston. The sound is very trancy, almost EDM-style dance music, but with these really beautiful lyrics and melodies.

The song itself came from my own love story with my husband. We were joking in the studio about how I had to chase him when we first met, which is not something I normally do. I kept saying, “I don’t chase guys, what is this?” That became part of the inspiration for the track.

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When you first started building It’s On You in the studio, what was the initial spark behind the song?

Valentine had brought a few sample beats into the studio, and we were listening through them. I had actually discovered Avalan Rokston through Instagram and I immediately wanted to work with them.

We ended up writing four songs and it was a really creative environment. I started telling him about my life and my relationship with my husband, and the lyrics just started flowing naturally from that conversation.

We wrote two songs a day, which is crazy because that normally takes much longer. But the energy in the room was just right. We played the melodies, started building lyrics together, and it all came together very organically.

Your voice and Preston Harris’s voice complement each other beautifully on the track. Was that intentional?

actually discovered Preston the same way, I heard his voice on a song he did with DJ Hugel and instantly fell in love with it. I told Damon, who works with me, “We have to get this guy on one of my songs.”

It turned out Damon had already worked with him in the studio, so he reached out to him straight away. When Preston started recording, Damon told me our voices sounded incredible together. I feel like moments like that come from something bigger than us. I always trust those instincts when I hear a voice or meet an artist that I feel connected to creatively.

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Your music pulls from many different influences. Do you think the places you’ve lived particularly New York shaped your sound?

Absolutely. Living in New York exposed me to so many different genres of music. I also lived in Germany for five years at a boarding school when I was younger, which was a huge period of growth in my life.

When I arrived in the U.S., I was exposed to R&B and hip-hop,  especially through New York and Baltimore. I always joke that Wu-Tang raised me.

Later, when I spent time in Washington D.C., I started hearing more techno and house music. Back then people didn’t call it EDM it was just techno or dance music. I realised that even if a song didn’t have many lyrics, the beat could still carry so much emotion.

All of those influences shaped the way I approach music today.

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Your music blends many styles. Have you ever felt pressure to focus on one specific genre?

No, I don’t like putting myself in a box creatively. I’m very fortunate because my husband is also my business manager and I run my own label, which gives me the freedom to explore different styles.

For me, it’s about experimenting. If something resonates with people, we might explore that direction further. But I never want to limit myself to just one sound.

Fans can grow with you when you explore different things. One day it might be a pop track, another day something more Afrobeat or dance-inspired. That variety is exciting to me.

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What would you say is the biggest creative challenge you’re facing right now?

Honestly, the biggest challenge is learning to celebrate the small wins. It’s easy in this industry to focus only on the big milestones.

But I’ve realised that simply being able to make music and call myself an artist is already a dream come true. I’ve only been working seriously on my voice for about three years with a vocal coach, so I’ve grown a lot during that time.

I want people to know it’s never too late to follow your dream. As long as you have energy and passion, age doesn’t define you.

What do you hope listeners feel when they hear your upcoming album?

I want people to feel uplifted. If someone is having a bad day, I hope they can play one of my songs and feel lighter.

Music has always healed me. I want my songs to create a space where people can forget their worries, dance, and reconnect with themselves.

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You’ve spoken about how personal some of your earlier music was. Was it difficult sharing those experiences publicly?

Not really, because writing the music was part of my healing process. Once I release a song, I let it go. It’s no longer mine,  it belongs to whoever connects with it.

I try not to get attached to outcomes or opinions. Some people will love the music and others won’t, and that’s okay. At the end of the day, music is about energy and connection. If a song helps someone feel understood, then it has done its job.

You’ve also been very open about your background as a refugee from Iran. Has sharing that story with audiences changed the way people connect with your music?

Yes, especially when I started talking about it more openly during my tours. When I told audiences that I arrived in the United States with just one suitcase at fourteen years old and didn’t speak English, they really connected with that story.

It helped people see that if I could follow my dream despite those challenges, they could pursue theirs too. I realised that sharing my story wasn’t something to be afraid of – it was actually empowering for both me and the audience.

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Seeing news about Iran regularly in the media must be emotional. How do you process that?

At first it was very difficult. But I also feel hopeful because change often begins with people raising their voices.

I’ve used my platform to raise awareness and support the Iranian people. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to speak out and help amplify their voices.

For me, using my platform to support others gives my work a deeper purpose.

What is your FAULT? 

My biggest FAULT is probably that I’m too kind sometimes. People can take advantage of that.

I’m learning how to set stronger boundaries in my life. Kindness is a beautiful thing, but it’s also important to protect your energy and your space.

So that’s something I’m still learning – how to stay kind while also setting clear boundaries.