Skylar Simone Breaks Down Her New EP Shiver Track by Track: Exclusive

The post Skylar Simone Breaks Down Her New EP Shiver Track by Track: Exclusive appeared first on Consequence .

Track by Track is our recurring feature series in which artists guide readers through each song on a release. Today, rising R&B artist Skylar Simone reveals the inspirations behind each song on her new EP, Shiver .

Skylar Simone has a voice that stops people in their tracks. From her layered lower register to her stratospheric falsetto, the rising R&B artist has a range comparable with Tori Kelly or Ariana Grande, which she employs expertly throughout her new five-track EP, Shiver .

Simone teased the project by releasing the title track and a song called “Shut Up” ahead of time; the latter in particular captures the warmth of the summer season. The EP is slightly moodier than songs like “Only Want You” and “Blame,” both of which propelled her to the top of the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart back in 2017 — but Simone has never sounded more at home with her own voice.

After working as a singer since her teen years, this EP kicks off Simone’s next chapter with a renewed sense of confidence. Listen to Shiver below, and read on for her Track by Track breakdown of the project.

“Shiver”:

It feels very authentic having this song be my first release from the EP, because it truly was the very beginning of the recording process. “Shiver” was the first song I wrote and created for this record. It also was the song that set the tone for all the music that followed and ultimately became the outline of my sound.

“Shut Up”:

I liked the idea of “Shut Up” having its own moment prior to the full EP release, because it sonically has its own unique feel that differentiates itself from the rest of the project. It also feels like such a summer song to me, too, and I’m big on music matching seasons, so I thought it was the perfect timing.

“Permission”:

“Permission” was probably the easiest of all the songs to write. I was in London working with Scribz, the producer and co-writer of this record, and he played the rough track idea. I fell in love! I immediately started envisioning playful, Janet Jackson-type energy on it, so I started freestyling melodies, and “Permission” was born.

“Someone Who Cares”:

I think this song manifested my breakup I went through last year. I was in a relationship when I wrote this song, and a couple of months later it ended — shortly after the fact, I realized that the lyrics of this song are almost EXACTLY what happened at the end of that situation. So this song is hilarious to me because I think my subconscious knew all along, but I was too blind to see in the moment. Moral of the story, listen to your gut (or the songs you write).

“I Wish I Lied”:

I love how unapologetically honest this song is. I love finding inner thoughts that everyone can relate to but feel untouched as a topic to sing or write about. I also like playing around with juxtaposition, like having a pretty or lighthearted track with darker, unexpected lyrics. I feel like this song is a perfect example of that!

Skylar Simone Breaks Down Her New EP Shiver Track by Track: Exclusive
Mary Siroky