Summary: <p>Shamir is a musician, songwriter, producer, painter, chef, actor, and filmmaker, and on his new album, <em>Heterosexuality</em>, uses the sounds of rock, R&B, and industrial synth - all within a pop framework - to challenge perceptions about gender and to explore his own queer identity. As he croons on his song “Cisgender” that “I don’t want to be a girl / I don’t want to be a man / I’m just existing on this god forsaken land /And you can take it or leave it / Or you can just stay back”, he reaches heights with his self-trained voice that one would expect of Swedish pop star Robyn.</p> <p>“Having multiple skills and talents in a world of side hustles and late stage capitalism,<em>” </em>Shamir has released a book of mixed media – essays about paintings he has made, <a href="https://bottlecap.press/products/painter"><em>But I’m a Painter</em></a> (from his <a href="https://pitchfork.com/news/shamir-announces-new-book-but-im-a-painter/">statement published on Pitchfork</a>), also runs his own record label, and pursues gluten-free cooking. For this remote session, (recorded while on tour), Shamir performs intimate, stripped-down versions of his intense but catchy music in a live trio setting. - <em>Caryn Havlik</em></p> <p>Watch "Nuclear":</p>
