From “Caroline” to I Barely Know Her: Sombr ’s Journey to a Debut Album

There is a certain kind of debut album that feels like the result of years quietly building towards a moment. For sombr, that moment arrives on 22 August when I Barely Know Her is released via Warner Records. The New York-born artist, real name Shane Boose, has been steadily carving out his own lane in alt-pop since his 2022 breakout Caroline, and the numbers alone speak to the momentum he has gathered: over 2 billion streams across his catalogue, three singles charting in the UK at the same time, and headline tours in multiple continents selling out as quickly as they were announced.

The album’s tracklist gives a sense of the emotional range listeners can expect, moving from the contemplative “crushing” to the understated intimacy of “come closer.” Longtime fans will recognise “back to friends,” “undressed” and “12 to 12” — tracks that have been dominating playlists and airwaves in equal measure. The latest single “12 to 12” recently broke into the UK Top 20, and its video, directed by Gus Black and starring Addison Rae, has already become part of the conversation around sombr’s evolving visual style.

One of the more intriguing elements of I Barely Know Her is that sombr wrote the album entirely himself and co-produced it with Tony Berg, whose credits include Phoebe Bridgers, Boygenius and Aimee Mann. This choice reflects a desire to maintain creative control while still bringing in the kind of industry expertise that can elevate a record without diluting its core identity.

Raised on the Lower East Side and classically trained at LaGuardia High School, sombr started out recording in his bedroom before moving to Los Angeles. His work often draws from young romance and heartbreak, but there is also a thread of self-awareness that prevents it from ever feeling one-note. It is this balance of directness and craft that has helped him win over both fans and critics, including a Best New Artist nomination at the MTV VMAs alongside a nod for Best Alternative.

With the album release set for late summer and a sold-out UK tour booked for March 2026, it feels like sombr’s world is about to get even bigger. Whether you have been following him since Caroline or you are just discovering his music now, I Barely Know Her looks set to be a FAULTLess introduction to one of the most compelling young voices in alt-pop today.

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