Shenna Somsmieh always knew who she was, but then there were some outside voices telling her something else. And sometimes those voice were her own. Then, Shenna took those voices, bagged them, and tossed them to the curb. After quitting university to jump into music in 2013, Shenna’s art started to assemble in 2014 debut Dream in Color, and throughout the past six years, the pop artist has unraveled herself in each piece of work, her narrations on everything from technology, love, mental health, and whatever else she needs to release.
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Ligthening the lyrical load from her most recent EP, 2019’s Blue Memories, an exploration of her depression and technology’s impact on the human psyche, Shenna has shifted the storyline in new single “Try Another Taste.” Her first single since Blue Memories, the steady, sultry groove of “Try Another Taste” reveals another side of Shenna’s propulsive pop singing Sugar chaser, I’m another flavor.
Maybe Shenna isn’t your typical pop star, whatever “typical” means. Still, she’s intent on changing the perception of what a pop artist looks like.
“As a black and Syrian female emerging artist, I saw myself get categorized before people even listened to my music and for industry people to shy away because I was a black woman in pop, which did not fit the standard narrative,” she says. “I’m happy people’s eyes are starting to open and I hope to inspire others like me that anyone can be a pop star.”
Coming up on Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani, Shenna’s world was always fused in pop. At one point she says she was encouraged to explore other genres and ultimately veer away from the type of artist she truly was deep down.
“When I started, many people in the music industry wanted to sell a sexualized image of me and refined me to only slow R & B jams,” says Shenna. “Nothing is wrong with being sexy, but being put into that role wasn’t me and I felt forced into a box.”
Born and raised in Woodbridge, VA, Shenna performed everywhere from Disney World to Central Park and eventually tapped radio worldwide following Dream in Color and her first full length album Made of Gold. Her music even landed placement on the Netflix series “Miss Stevens,” in addition to shows like “Lethal Weapon,” “Ex On The Beach,” and “The Bad Girls Club.”
Blue Memories was Shenna’s deeper narrative on life, and the more upbeat “Try Another Taste” is no different. Sure it’s about broken hearts, but there’s more love out there, and as Shenna clearly illustrates, there are always more flavors to taste. Cool and calm, and far from anything calamitous, it’s just the breeze of pop needed during these tumultuous times.
“Try Another Taste is a fun, yet sexy pop song about someone who has had horrible luck in relationships and is now very cautious of who they let steal their heart,” says Shenna. “The perspective of the song is the new love interest showing they can be the perfect flavor and that the person just hasn’t had the right taste yet—until now.”
