After redefining R&B with her soulful sound and R&Drill innovations, Shaé Universe shares how gospel shaped her voice, why Lauryn Hill inspires her, and why her next EP will take her signature falsetto to the dancefloor.
“My mom’s a gospel singer and my dad is a pastor. When I was younger, I would support my mum in the choir. Being around church and hearing the musical harmonies and placements definitely helped shape my music.”
Nigerian-born British singer-songwriter Shaé Universe started singing in church. Universe’s debut EP Unorthodox (2022) was a refreshing and innovative blend of R&B and drill which introduced her to a global audience. Love’s Letter (2024), Universe’s subsequent album, showcased her soulful R&B roots and signature falsetto. After a jam-packed year of touring, performing on music’s biggest platforms, and headlining at festivals, Universe is ready to take the world by storm.
“Before I was called ‘Shaé Universe’, I was ‘Shaé’. But there were so many ‘Shaés’…My sister came up with [Shaé Universe], and it just kind of had a ring to it. I didn’t think too deeply into it, to be honest with you. As time went on, the name really grew on me.”
I caught up with Universe while she was in L.A. for a laid-back and insightful interview. We bonded over our similar upbringings—being part of the African diaspora and growing up in church. Universe described how gospel music influenced her sound, then detailed an ironically anticlimactic anecdote behind her captivating stage name.
“It’s always so dope when I meet [North-Americans] that know their roots. My mom’s a gospel singer and my dad is a pastor. When I was younger, I would support my mum in the choir. Being around church and hearing the musical harmonies and placements definitely helped shape my music”, she began.
“People ask me this all the time, and I think they expect some spectacular story, but honestly, it was very simple. Me and my sister sat down and were brainstorming. Before I was called ‘Shaé Universe’, I was ‘Shaé’. But there were so many ‘Shaés’! So we were trying to think of something that would differentiate me. My sister came up with [Shaé Universe], and it just kind of had a ring to it. I didn’t think too deeply into it, to be honest with you. As time went on, the name really grew on me. It felt aligned with my brand, my sound, everything”, she added.
Universe named Jasmine Sullivan, Brandy, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill as her biggest musical inspirations (Universe’s favourite album of all-time is The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill at the time of writing this). In addition, she named India Arie as a vocalist who unwittingly influenced her singing.
“I never used to listen when people would tell me this, because she wouldn’t come immediately to mind. A lot of people have told me my tone reminds them of India Arie. She was somebody that was in my rotation, growing up. I had a neo-soul phase. So I feel like India Arie has subconscious effects”, she said.
Universe is an oft-cited pioneer of R&Drill—a subgenre of R&B which is native to the UK and grew in popularity around the time she released Unorthodox.
“It’s a fusion of R&B and drill sounds. I see so many R&Drill songs now, and everyone approaches their version of it differently. When I released Unorthodox, it was the drill cadence, the drill tempo, intertwined with R&B melodies and inflections.” -Shaé Universe on R&Drill
“It’s a fusion of R&B and drill sounds. I see so many R&Drill songs now, and everyone approaches their version of it differently. When I released Unorthodox, it was the drill cadence, the drill tempo, intertwined with R&B melodies and inflections”, she said.
Innovation is what moves the needle. In the next 10 years, Universe hopes to “see more international R&B artists work together”.
“That will definitely take R&B to another level. There are huge R&B artists in every country. Imagine a crossover between an Indian R&B artist and a Hispanic R&B artist, whatever the case may be. Collaboration between different cultures and demographics will help to push the genre forward”, she said.
“When I released Unorthodox, it was a very experimental time for me. [I never thought] I’d be an R&Drill artist for the entirety of my career. I’ve always known myself being, at my core, an R&B/Soul singer. So I knew I would return to that at some point.”
Love’s Letter, Universe’s latest project, is a refreshing ten-track compilation where she invites listeners to witness her coming of age. The songs were based on ten letters Universe wrote to herself. Themes of intimacy, uncertainty, and the cycles of growth permeate throughout—from the tracklist to the cover art.
“We shot a different artwork for [Love’s Letter]. After meditating on it, figuring out the track list, the story I was trying to tell with the songs, and the overall feel, I went back and was like, I think I’m gonna have to re-shoot this cover, because it didn’t feel like the type of cover that needed to be super glam and super dressed up. It felt more intimate. More raw and vulnerable. It’s interesting you mentioned Lauryn Hill, because she definitely was one of the inspirations behind the artwork. When I was drafting a mood board with my photographer, there were definitely pictures of hers used in reference, because I feel like in Lauryn Hill’s prime, she was the face of the stripped back, raw, vulnerable sound and voice. That’s what I wanted to emulate”, she explained.
Love’s Letter shifts away from the R&Drill which categorized its predecessor, Unorthodox, and leans more heavily into contemporary R&B. This was an intentional decision Universe made to remain loyal to her musical origins.
“When I released Unorthodox, it was a very experimental time for me. [I never thought] I’d be an R&Drill artist for the entirety of my career. I’ve always known myself being, at my core, an R&B/Soul singer. So I knew I would return to that at some point. At the time, I’d released a couple R&B songs, and R&B wasn’t at the forefront as it is now. I found myself feeling frustrated. Like, what’s it going to take for the UK to take me in and listen? My producer at the time suggested [I try] drill. It was doing really well. But I’m not a drill artist, so if I’m going to do this, I’m going to make it my own and create something fresh. So I decided to go into [R&Drill] to prove to myself that I could break through in the UK. That’s really what that was. However, in my heart, I knew I would always come back to soulful R&B”, she said.
Universe shines on “Love Self”, “LOML”, and “Warzone”. “Love Self” is a breezy, summer-twinged number. The song opens with a mesmerising guitar and drum intro which takes you straight to the beach, and a heartfelt spoken message from Universe’s mother (“[…] one of the best things that God did for you as a person, is that you did not get overnight success. You’ve gone through some things, and now that the spotlight is getting closer and closer, […] you love yourself. You know who you are”). On “LOML”, Universe boldly croons her love for a romantic partner over an R&Drill beat which deftly showcases her soulful tone and buttery falsetto. “Warzone” is a minimally-produced downtempo interlude about having conflicting emotions in a relationship, with a delightfully poetic second verse (If you didn’t know Shaé Universe could rap, now you know). Universe’s personal standout is “Oh Wait”.
“My favorite track changes from time to time. ‘Oh Wait’ is my favorite at the moment. I’m currently touring with Jon B and I just got off a tour with Durand Benarr, and it’s really given me a chance to observe the songs people in the US take to the most. “Oh Wait” has been a creeper [success]. Number one, it’s therapeutic to sing, but number two, people have taken to that song a lot more than I anticipated. There were others on the project, for example, “LOML”, and “More Than Enough” with Lala Hathaway. I thought those songs might resonate more with people, but “Oh Wait” seems to be the one. And I guess it makes sense, because it’s very raw, very vulnerable, and it came from a very real place”, she said.
If you’re like me, you suspected “Oh Wait” might’ve sampled Estelle and Kanye West’s “American Boy”. Both choruses have similar pop melodies with an earworm quality.
“Wow, I never had connected those dots. But now that you say it, I hear it immediately. That wasn’t an intentional thing at all, to be honest with you. So it’s just a coincidence”, she clarified.
This past May, Universe contributed a song called “JOURNEY” to No Lip Service, a collaborative album curated by Sabrina and Idris Elba’s skincare brand, S’ABLE Labs. Universe described the “genuine” and “authentic” creative process behind the album.
“Sabrina and Idris Elba [hosted] a private event called S’ABLE SOUNDS. They invited artists to perform one song and have a very open, honest discussion about the music. Everyone felt comfortable to be vulnerable in the room. They decided to turn the event into a conceptual album. (No Lip Service). They’ve actually taken live recordings from the event, and added them to the ends of songs, or put them as little interludes in-between. Each artist [brought] a song of their choice, whether it’s been written from before or whether we wanted to create something from scratch. I decided to use [“JOURNEYS”]. It was written by my sister a while ago. It was going to be on one of my projects, but I ended up creating other songs. it’s a very beautiful and timelessly written song, so I decided to use it for this album, and it slotted in perfectly”, she said.
Universe has had an action-packed twelve months: she performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk last August, then embarked on the Love’s Letter tour in the Fall, before supporting Jon B and Durand Bernarr on their respective tours this year. In June, she performed at Cross The Tracks (London’s #1 Jazz, Funk and Soul festival), and the inaugural SXSW London.
“I consider myself to be very blessed. Doing things independently, people [have given] me grace and equipped me with tools to move at my own pace and still thrive.”
“I consider myself to be very blessed. Doing things independently, people [have given] me grace and equipped me with tools to move at my own pace and still thrive. Everyone is in this rat-race and under some sort of pressure to consistently produce, whether it’s good [or] bad quality,” she said.
“I’m working on releasing a dance/soulful house EP. I know it’s different for me. But honestly, life has been so serious since releasing Love’s Letter. I want to make light-hearted, feel-good, cheesy music. Music that makes me want to dance.”
Universe’s last independent release, “OOTW” came out just over a year ago. Lucky for fans, she is working on a slew of new projects, with the earliest one coming to fruition before summer ends.
“I’m working on releasing a dance/soulful house EP. I know it’s different for me. But honestly, life has been so serious since releasing Love’s Letter. I want to make light-hearted, feel-good, cheesy music. Music that makes me want to dance. And I feel like my voice would sit really nicely on [dance/soulful house]. That’s probably what’s going to come immediately next. I’m trying to get that wrapped up ASAP, because I would love to release it before the end of summer,” she concluded. “Then I’m thinking of releasing one more EP. I can’t really say too much on that [one]. After the two EPs will come my next full length R&B project. I have a concept. I have everything for it already. So definitely keep your eyes peeled, because music will be coming soon”.
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