Shamir – “Obsession”
In two days, the Philadelphia-based DIY-pop superstar Shamir will release their new album Homo Anxietatem. I have heard the record, and it’s really, really good. You could probably figure that out for yourself just by listening to advance singles “Oversized Sweater,” “Crime,” “Our Song,” and “The Beginning.” Today, Shamir has shared one last track before the LP arrives.
Shamir is always writing songs. When my friend Nick Sylvester, Shamir’s original producer, got married a few years ago, Shamir wrote a gorgeous new song just for the wedding reception, and I’m pretty sure they’ve never released that one. A few of the tracks on Homo Anxietatem come from Shamir’s archives, and one of those songs is “Obsession.” Shamir wrote it in 2016, while going through a low personal moment.
“Obsession” is a pounding rocker with explosive hooks, and Shamir sings much of it as a kind of second-person accusation: “You wanna be a star, but that’s what everyone wants to do/ You don’t know who you are, you can’t have all eyes on you.” In a press release, Shamir says, “I love how this song is rooted in uncertainty and not self-pity. The truth is that I didn’t know myself back then, and I certainly was not ready for that level of exposure, but I knew I could be.” Shamir directed their own video for “Obsession,” and you can watch it below.
Homo Anxietatem is out 8/18 on Kill Rock Stars.