Zine #05: Starring Sherez
The cosmic king talks queerness as a driving force, their latest track and human connection. And as a bonus, they play a fun word game with me!
“Thank you for connecting with my vibes! I accomplished a goal today!“ Houston based musician Sherez responds, and even though we’ve only been chatting a little while, I can tell they mean it (jokingly but) earnestly. Connection is key for the celestially voiced artist. And it comes across immediately. Not just because I’m about to insert a quote in which they essentially say just that; there’s something very open and welcoming. They’re the perfect sunspot in the backyard, where you just want to curl up only moving to stretch towards the flowers. “Connection first and foremost. Human connection and understanding. Understanding about the cosmic connection we have with the universe. I’ve found peace in it and so have many others I want to take my listeners to the next level with me.”
While I’m not aware of any mainstream definition of cosmic connection, I’d like to petition Sherez’ latest track Sweet Peach to become the official definition. The song gives off a low level tingle and a euphoric disassociation. Harmonious. Haunting. Hovering. ”Sweet Peach is filled with cosmic energy. When I heard the beat I knew I wanted it. The atmospheric energy it gave off was seducing. I went in the booth and did one take. The song was just that powerful. The second part is literally me free styling.”
The trance sound is a careful game of balance. It’s an intense and swelling style that can quickly become cluttered if not done with care. A lot of times, vocals are kept to the airy or raspy indie style, not necessarily playing it safe but just knowing what sounds good. Sherez manages to glide even further, the vocals and track both go hard but as friends not competitors.
Sherez’ supreme command of vocals is deeply rooted in their childhood, and maybe even their DNA. From a family of musicians and skilled vocalists, Sherez was making up songs to sing around the house at the age I was still struggling with object permanence. Influences and inspirations were ripe for the picking. Their grandfather, a parallel spirit, was a huge inspiration and perhaps the godfather of Sherez’ throwback feel. Between their mom jamming to Anita Baker, Teena Marie, En Vogue and Jill Scott and a love affair with Broadway and its divas, Sherez was always ready to take stage.
Their discography exemplifies that Sherez knows who the fuck they are. They are confident as hell in their sense of self in a way that allows them to be fluid and explorative. But that wasn’t always the case. “So many times I doubted myself wether a career is music is for me and I’ve come to the conclusion that it is. No more doubt. I also learned that in making music for me I’m in turn giving others a chance to connect with me. That in itself is reason enough to keep talking about real issues wether it’s in the music or in the streets. I’m focused than then to continue to put the good word in the music.”
Their 2018 EP ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ pairs purposeful crispness with vocals that drip with personality (imagine Little Mix meets Har Mar Superstar and you’re only halfway to Sherez). I’m writing this sentence after listening to the whole EP on repeat for (and I didn’t realize this) over an hour. My ass hurts from being half on the remote, half on a hard edge because I didn’t mean to sit down. I pressed play and just ended up so absorbed that I lost sense of my physical self; not in a dramatic, poetic way (although that does apply to). It was like when you’re just the right high or you’re edging on tipsy and you just float a bit. You become blissfully intangible. So now that I’ve come to, and I realize I have to convey to y’all in words the experience of listening to Sherez, I’m struggling. I keep thinking of countless songs and artists in an attempt to give you a gauge but Sherez’ sonic aesthetic is hard to compare. I’m not saying Sherez invented music or is doing something never before done. At this day and age, everyone is pulling from the same ingredients. But Sherez is pulling them with tact and grace paired with such personality that it really does stand out wholly on its own within popular music.
It especially stands out when a lot of mood music a) doesn’t whisk in hip hop, techno pop & more but also b) doesn’t prioritize lyricism; which is fair, it’s a genre that doesn’t necessitate them in the same way singer-songwriters like Dylan or your favorite 2000’s indie bands do. However, Sherez’s lyricism stands strong even when singled out. Their lyrics immediately lend themselves to spoken word or even anthologies. “Sweet Peach is about humanity and how we defer from our chosen paths to pursue our desires and lusts. I semi put the blame of Eve for screwing humanity the song is through Adams eyes. In defense of Eve she made a choice awhile Adam did nothing, yet he still made a choice in doing nothing. It’s about love and our connection to the universe and it’s fruits. We bare responsibility for taking the fruits not knowing their full potential and how dangerous they can be. The rabbit hole goes deep.”
Connection is not just reaching out and being received, it is also be about being understood. So while Sherez’ use of emotion and story telling is universal, they know how to use that relatability to convey the parts of themselves that aren’t widely experienced. “My song Black Market is literally my Blackness personified. My next project in include my queerness but you have to wait a little longer I have something special cooking for my listeners. Queer people are mainstream. The mainstream takes our art and gives it life but we’re not at the center. I plan on changing that narrative.”
Sherez and I played a word association game where they responded in only a few words to a quick prompt. Check it out in the graphic below. The words in pink/typewriter font are my prompts and the words in blue/bold font are Sherez’s responses.
“Love is a big inspiration for me, not surprising haha. Many artist talk about love in all it forms. My goal is to normalize LGBTQIA plus relationships and have them be the stars. We are the main characters of our own life’s. I’m ready for this new age of music and there’s no way I’m gonna miss out.”
Follow Sherez on Instagram
check them on out on Soundcloud
Stream them on Spotify