“What’s it gonna be?” is the question we’ve all been asking Shura since the release of her immaculate single “Touch” two years ago. The track paired the UK-based performer’s captivating vocals with effervescent production and a fearless music video that celebrated love of all orientations. Since then Shura has released an EP (White Light) and several equally addictive tracks. Now, finally, her debut album Nothing’s Real is set for release July 8th.
It doesn’t happen every day that you find a musician who perfectly expresses your feelings and also is a pleasure to listen to in any mood, so I was very excited to listen to this latest single. While “What’s It Gonna Be” defied my expectations, it certainly did not disappoint. Shura’s previous singles had an unearthly, almost confectionary quality. “What’s It Gonna Be?” has a more upbeat immediacy evocative of  60s and 70s R&B, even a glimpse of Motown. While Shura has cultivated a sound that is undeniably hers, that sound is expansive enough to accommodate the breadth of her production palate.
In spite of the fact that Nothing’s Real is sci-fi themed, Shura’s songs strike an undeniably human note. Her lyrics perfectly capture that liminal space of doubt in a relationship-that-might-be-romantic. The singer is poised in a moment of uncertainty where she is sure of her own feelings but unsure of someone else’s. What does one express, given those circumstances?
“Do I tell you I love you or not?/ ‘Cause I can’t really guess what you want.” She asks. “If you’ve got feelings for me, you’ve just got to speak honestly.”
Honestly, Shura, Nothing’s Real can’t arrive soon enough.
