Shygirl

by Niko Skinner

Shygirl, October 2022 (Kalia, The Guardian)

Shygirl is an English rapper, DJ, singer, and songwriter who incorporates elements of industrial hip-hop, dance music, experimental pop, and grime. Originally from South London, this 30-year-old has put together an illustrious career that started in 2016. She has worked with a variety of producers to drop positively reviewed albums, singles, and EP’s, and has even been acknowledged by Rihanna. Shygirl has drawn influence from Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Björk, and Madonna.

Don’t let her stage name fool you because there is absolutely nothing shy about her Nymph_o remix album that was released on April 14. Since it’s a remix of her debut September 2022 album Nymph, I think it would make more sense to talk about and include the Spotify links for both albums in this entry. Throughout these albums, Shygirl was really bold in delivering her message regarding sexuality. The first song that stuck out to me was “Woe”. The instrumentation and vocals have a steady flow to them, which is accomplished primarily by the bass and percussion. Speaking of the percussion, it is smooth all the way through despite the beat changing halfway through the song. The song starts with a medium-tempo beat that is average in terms of energy. It then transitions into more of a faster, trap-like beat while still retaining its tone and bass sound. Björk contributed to the remix of “Woe” on the Nymph_o album, which also has additional lyrics. The instrumentation is different this time. It starts out the same way as the original with the same beat and bass sound. It then gradually changes so that it sounds more somber. In summary, the atmosphere takes a bit of a dark turn. The original song depicts Shygirl having questions that stem from not being satisfied in a relationship while Björk empathetically addresses these questions in the remix. I can definitely hear the influence from Rihanna because these albums remind me of her music, especially from her earlier career (give Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded a listen, and you’ll hear what I’m talking about). For example, you can hear some of the elements from 2000’s r&b and pop in “Heaven”. The vocals and synth melody in “Heaven” make up the contemporary r&b sound. While that is going on, you can hear the pop element in the drum beat because of the groovy yet polished rhythm that is maintained throughout. The remix of “Heaven” features a more accentuated beat along with additional vocals from Tinashe. Together, Shygirl and Tinashe do a great job of delivering a message to their exes, asking them to forgive them and overlook their mistakes.

These albums take me back to my childhood, when my family and I would ride in my dad’s truck for vacations, and we would listen to a lot of r&b along the way whenever it got dark outside. The best way that I can describe Shygirl’s music is “throwback” yet “futuristic”. Her music is reverse engineered and combines elements of hip-hop, pop, and r&b. It’s done in a way that differentiates her music from other modern artists who are also bringing something new to the table. It sounds like something that you could listen to in 2023 while also sounding like something you could have listened to in 2008.