Fresh off a whirlwind U.S. radio and TV tour promoting her critically acclaimed album ‘ONE SUITCASE,’ Iranian-American pop singer SHAB has turned heads once again with her shimmering new single ‘LIPSTICK.’ A nostalgic yet fresh celebration of 1980s glamour and unapologetic femininity, it marks a new high point in her forever evolving sound.
In this candid conversation, SHAB opens up about the inspiration behind her summer-ready track and how a spontaneous day in the Hollywood Hills turned into the perfect visual companion for her radiant new anthem…
Congratulations on the release of your vibrant new single, Lipstick! If you had to describe it in just three words, what would they be?
LIVE LIFE LARGE.
Lipstick feels like a bold celebration of unapologetic femininity. In your own words, what inspired the song?
I went into the studio with my frequent collaborators Eric Zayne & Naz Tokio with the intent of creating a track with echoes of an 1980s pop vibe. We had figured out what the beats and the melody for the first verse but didn’t have any lyrics, so I went into the vocal booth and just started freestyling. It wasn’t our intent necessarily to create an EarWorm of a summer song, but we all knew that we had something potentially special after that first session. There was magic in the studio that day.
The track blends nostalgic disco vibes with modern pop glamour. How did you approach merging those influences in the production?
The original finished demo for LIPSTICK was decidedly more stripped down — and we thought that would be the case through production of the master. However, I gave the song to my longtime partner Damon Sharpe and he transformed our demo with a Power Pop production When Damon sent us his first revision, we were alarmed as it was a much bigger sound and with a more fully orchestrated vibe than was originally intended for the track — and communicated such to Damon. But by the third critical listening to the song, we actually texted him back with something like Okay, you’re right – it is a much better production mix so we’ll shut up now.
Lipstick follows an extensive U.S. radio tour, where you appeared on major stations like Kiss FM and even did a live interview on FOX & ABC stations to talk about One Suitcase. Do you have any standout memories from that experience, and did you anticipate the album would receive such a positive response?
I really, really enjoyed our radio and TV promotional tour, although have to say that just from a travel, logistical and energy standpoint, a promotional tour of that type is much, much harder than they performance tour. But I had a blast meeting the decisionmakers who curate the music that goes on to American airwaves and almost to a person they were incredibly gracious, welcoming and encouraging.
As far as the positive response that we’ve received and respect of ONE SUITCASE, I am gratified by the acclaim that the album has garnered thus far — but I frankly did not expect much negative feedback. The album is a labor of love that was my life in the making and each of the individual tracks stands up as a highly listenable production. My team did a great job In their work on this volume and I could not be prouder of them.How do you feel One Suitcase has resonated with listeners?
I think it may be a bit early in the life of the album’s promotion to offer a view in that regard. LIPSTICK is going to be picked up and radio rotations this very week and it is going to open up my work to a whole new set of listeners. I think that by the end of the summer, we’ll have a better idea as to how the album resonates with the listening public.
Let’s talk about the Lipstick video – what a treat! With its tongue-in-cheek Hollywood glamour and 80s-inspired styling, what sparked the concept behind the visuals?
When I was discussing the concept treatment for the album with my Creative co-Directors Richy Jackson & Eli Sokhn, we all eventually agree that we should do something fairly simplistic, a bit campy and true to the ’80s vibe of the music track. The treatment that came out of those discussions struck me as almost perfect for the audio track and we shot the video in a fun filled session during a mid-April Saturday in the Hollywood Hills.
Do you see the video as an essential part of Lipstick’s infectious energy and retro aesthetic?
I wouldn’t use the word essential, but maybe descriptors such complimentary or illustrative. The video might be analogized to strawberries and with the audio track being champagne — and with the strawberries bringing out the flavor of the champagne.
It must have been a blast to shoot! What was your favorite part – creating the looks, lounging by the pool, or cruising in those car scenes?
My gorgeous romantic interest in the video was a former Marine – who actually is not an actor — named Austin Phillips. Austin was something of an accidental casting for the video, as he is a good friend of my Creative Director Richy Jackson who happened to be visiting Los Angeles that weekend. He is the sweetest and kindest guy and I very much just enjoyed hanging out with Austin, Richy and the rest of the gang on the set.
What’s one message you hope fans take away from Lipstick?
Life can be as wonderful, sexy, fun and spontaneous as you allow it to be.