The Story Behind “Shameika” by Fiona Apple and Its Real-Life Sequel

When listening to the 2020 single “Shameika,” it doesn’t take long to get the idea that Fiona Apple did not enjoy going to school. We quickly learn she spent much of her time in class literally counting the seconds. Yet “Shameika” is about one of the silver linings of her school experience. Because someone named Shameika told her she had potential, Apple could look back on this part of her childhood with some fondness and gratitude.

It was clearly an important moment for Apple. Not only did she write a song about Shameika, but she utters the line Shameika said I had potential 19 times. But who was Shameika? And why did she tell Apple she had potential? Apple was not entirely sure herself, but she—and the rest of us—got more answers after she released the song on her fifth studio album Fetch the Bolt Cutters.

There Is a Real Shameika

In an interview for Vulture that was published on the day that Fetch the Bolt Cutters was released, Apple said she was not completely sure if she remembered the incident with Shameika accurately or if Shameika actually existed. By the time the album and song were out, Apple learned that she had correctly remembered Shameika. One month before the album’s release, The New Yorker published a feature on Apple and her upcoming album, and it offhandedly mentioned there would be a song called “Shameika.” Apple’s third-grade teacher, Linda Kunhardt—who had kept in touch with her former student—read the piece and fired off an email to the singer/songwriter.

Kunhardt sent Apple a photo of a fellow student from St. Hilda’s—the school where Kunhardt had taught and Apple attended. That student was Shameika Stepney. Apple realized that not only was Shameika a real person, but she had in fact made the comment about her having potential around the time she was 11 years old. Stepney was trying to discourage Apple from ingratiating herself to a group of girls who were bullying her in the school cafeteria.

Apple Makes Friends with Shameika

In “Shameika,” Apple didn’t recall much about her classmate, but she did provide the following details: Shameika wasn’t gentle and she wasn’t my friend. Given the two weren’t friends, it was reasonable for Apple to add She got through to me, and I’ll never see her again. In her Vulture interview, Apple wondered if she had made a bad impression on Stepney. She expressed some trepidation that Stepney might not react well to “Shameika,” saying, “What if she’s not a nice person nowadays? Or maybe she hates me or something. I’d be afraid for her to hear it.”

Apple would soon find out there was nothing to worry about and she would see Stepney again after all. Kunhardt connected the former students, and according to a W magazine feature, they caught up on a FaceTime call. Apple learned Stepney had been a rapper since childhood, and the two planned a collaboration. In November 2020, Stepney (recording under the mononym Shameika) released “Shameika Said,” which featured Apple reprising “Shameika’s” famous refrain and singing one of the verses. Stepney also references Apple’s song, rapping Fi gave you the name / Now you know the face.

On the same day Stepney released “Shameika Said,” Apple released an official video for “Shameika.” In the video, the song is prefaced by Stepney saying Take a moment three times.

“A Good Man in a Storm”

While “Shameika” focuses on the impact Stepney unknowingly had on Apple, the song also mentions two other people who gave her a boost. The third and fourth verses open with the lines Tony told me he’d describe me as pissed off, funny, and warm / Sebastian said I’m a good man in a storm. Tony refers to Tony Berg, who has produced albums for Phoebe Bridgers, Squeeze, and Michael Penn. Berg also co-produced Andrew Bird’s 2016 album Are You Serious, which includes Bird’s duet with Apple, “Left-Handed Kisses.”

The latter line pertains to Sebastian Steinberg, who co-produced Fetch the Bolt Cutters and played bass on all but one track. Steinberg called Apple “a good man in a storm” when the two of them and fellow collaborator and producer David Garza got pulled over in Marfa, Texas, with marijuana in the car. Apple took the marijuana away from Steinberg, banking on her calculation that the police officers would either ignore her or go easy on her. The officers only interrogated the two men, and after the police went on their way, Steinberg complimented Apple on her quick thinking.

The Impact of “Shameika”

“Shameika” was the only single released from Fetch the Bolt Cutters, and it spent 13 weeks on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart, rising to No. 19. It was Apple’s first hit on that chart in more than 20 years, finally following up the Top-10 success of “Fast as You Can.” “Shameika” also went to No. 15 in a single week on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. “Shameika” won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance and was nominated for Best Rock Song, while Fetch the Bolt Cutters took the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.

Fetch the Bolt Cutters became Apple’s third Top-10 album, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. It also became her second No. 1 album on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts, following in the footsteps of its predecessor, The Idler Wheel…

Even without the fascinating backstory, “Shameika” would be notable for its inventive composition and Apple’s skillful singing and piano playing. Apple tells a great story, too, and the publicity around the song and its album helped to create a compelling sequel. “Shameika” produced both a long-overdue hit for Apple as well as a conversation between childhood acquaintances that would otherwise have never happened. 

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