Album Review: Shamir - 'Heterosexuality'

Philadelphia-based indie star Shamir has returned with a project that feels considerably more DIY and infinitely more honest, facing up to past traumas in a fiercely unapologetic musical manner.

Opening with the attention-grabbing ‘Gay Agenda’, the track’s warped textures and explosion of synths and electronic soundscapes traces lyrics of power. Fighting back against reductive labels and prejudiced systems of oppression are core thematic elements of Heterosexuality, unsurprisingly. As a non-binary Black artist with a piercingly high countertenor voice, Shamir stands out from the crowd. This time, with purpose.

‘Cisgender’ sees Shamir shun societal expectations of gender identity: “I don’t know what I can do to make you comfortable/with what you see before you”, adding rock edges to the electro-pop foundations of the song. ‘Abomination’ keeps the momentum up, introducing darker synths and even punchier lyrics.

'80s nostalgia seeps into more pop-influenced tracks like ‘Cold Brew’, ‘Stability’ and ‘Caught Up’, with hints of Prince and Michael Jackson audible throughout. The poignant ‘Father’ takes the pace down a notch, amplifying vocals above backing sounds for once.

Shamir acknowledges the hardship of their past, professing love for themselves on groovy concluding tracks ‘Marriage’ and ‘Reproductive’. “I’m married to me,” he exclaims, “I’m sorry to break the news that I’m taken.” If taking control of the narrative was the goal, the Nevada native succeeded with a unique flair.

Rating: 8/10

Listen: ‘Cold Brew’

Heterosexuality is out now:

Stay tuned for Hot Press' interview with Shamir, out in our upcoming issue. Revisit the 2015 chat here.