A rising talent on the electro-pop scene, Shima’s neon-tinted tracks are irresistibly fresh, and her latest offering ‘Fade Out’ is no exception.
Adopting a syncopated cowbell beat, the single explodes into a fusion of groove-driven bass, with the Japanese-American artist’s ethereal vocals swirling in sweet falsettos above the melody. Perfectly crafted for those late summer evenings, the dance-dipped track is buoyant and bright, with a catchy chorus and Shima’s bilingual talents exhibited as she flips between her two languages across the verses. Elaborating on the inspiration behind the soon-to-be-hit, she explains, “‘Fade Out’ is about being able to connect with someone on a truly mental level, without trivial factors such as appearance, social media following, material possessions and clout getting in the way. It’s about drowning out all the noise to tune in on what’s actually important”.
Born in Tokyo and currently residing in Los Angeles, Shima began her career as a J-pop star at just 14, however the constraints and lack of creative control made her want to explore other avenues that still allowed her to pursue her passion. She left her label to study music and computer engineering in the USA, writing and recording songs in her spare time, and eventually became a software developer for a music tech company. Experiencing a lack of fulfillment and a realisation that her aspirations lay solely in making music, she took the leap and quit her full time job and has never looked back. Now working as an artist, producer and mixing engineer, she has already achieved spellbinding success, with releases such as ‘Machine’ racking up over 390,000 streams on Spotify. Hoping to inspire young girls with similar dreams to follow in her footsteps, Shima stands as a pillar of strength and encouragement that if you believe in yourself, you can do anything.
