Tune Tuesday: Shamir
Here's a fun fact about my musical taste: I love a good countertenor. I first learned of this type of singer from my obsession with Cirque du Soleil in late grade school and early high school. The show Dralion featured, for a while, Erik Karol as one of the main characters. What is a countertenor? It is a type of male classical singing, but these men have a vocal range similar to female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types. For reference, Adele is a contralto, and Florence Welch is a mezzo-soprano.
A modern countertenor is just stepping onto the scene at the young age of 20! With unapologetic self-assuredness, Shamir Bailey is ready to get all up in your grill and leave with you earworm after earworm and punchy, truth-slinging lyrics, like in "On the Regular": "Don't try me, I'm not a free sample/Step to me and you will be handled. See, that's my crown on the mantle/and if you try it, yes, there will be scandal."
With his wild vocal range and "amazingly unclassifiable" music style, it's definitely no surprise that Shamir has made his way to the top of my current favorite music artists. If you want something to dance to while getting ready this weekend, you NEED to put on "Call it Off." With its ridiculously catchy beats and hysterical nods to other aspect of pop music culture ("Just can't make a thot a wife"), I can guarantee you that this jam will also find a permanent spot in my music selection as a DJ.
I'm always a fan of public figures like Shamir who just don't seem to care what you think. Maybe that's what a "diva" is? Shamir just seems simply fabulous, and has a confidence that I would like to better emulate. Knowing yourself is the best way to project confidence, and I've been working on that.
What do you think? Is Shamir just a little too offbeat for you? Or are you gonna jam out with me?