Before “slow-burning artist” Shae Universe was an R&B star on the rise, she was a young tween discovering her love for music. The British-Nigerian songstress, who moved to London from Port Harcourt, Nigeria, at 4 years old, joined her church choir at 7 years old to support her mother, a lead gospel singer for the congregation.
She quickly picked up the feel and love for performing, as she’d practice singing solos and becoming comfortable in front of the congregation. Looking back, she can see the impact this early connection had on her unique sound. Both gospel and R&B music have similar chord progressions and melodies, but to her, the feeling behind the songs made her fall in love with the industry.
“A big thing about gospel is how it makes you feel,” she said, emphasizing that feeling connected her to the music. “That’s something that stuck with me and carried over into the way that I execute and deliver my own songs.”
Shae Universe is an R&B artist at heart, but she doesn’t allow that label to define her sound. Finding her voice and being comfortable with the different nuances of it came early in her career, during her days posting faceless singing covers on Twitter in 2015. After going viral for Tink’s “Treat Me Like Somebody,” she continued posting covers to get comfortable with her sound. Singing songs, like NAO’s “Bad Blood, De’Angelo’s “My Lady,” and Kanye West and Chance The Rappers’ “Ultralight Beam” garnered her some attention and fame.
She quickly became acquainted with the highs — and lows — that came with virality, learning that quick fame is fleeting. “Having virality so early in my career … was a blessing because it taught me that you can have viral moments, but that’s not going to give you success,” she said.
This moment also served as the training camp for her soulful, warm and distinct tone. Posting the covers and receiving positive feedback gave her confidence in her vocal abilities, while allowing her the space to practice different notes and melodies. Her sound is rooted in the influences of iconic artists, like Brandy, Anita Baker and Lauryn Hill. By singing in her British accent, she naturally sets herself apart from other soulful singers. Combining her accent with her lyricism is the quality that Shae Universe believes helps her break into different music markets outside of the United Kingdom.
“I was so pleasantly surprised to see how well Americans get me as an artist,” she said. “They understand what I stand for and what I represent. They get the message I’m trying to portray throughout my music.”
With her newfound confidence, identified sound and developed thick skin, she began releasing her own songs in 2017. The first track to get her any recognition in the United Kingdom was “Melanin,” a deep cut that she says only her oldest fans would know. Building on that, she released other singles, like “No Stallin’,” which afforded her commercial success ahead of her first album “Unorthodox” in 2022.
Through every point in her career, from arriving at her stage name through a brainstorming session with her sister to creating a name for herself with “Unorthodox,” Shae Universe believes that her steps have been divinely ordered and on God’s timing. Appearing on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series was another example of that truth. In January, ahead of the release of her second album “Love’s Letter,” she sent a DM with the link to her album to a producer, and the rest was “literally Black British history.”
To any of the over 200K viewers, Shae Universe appeared to be in her element. With her white halter, cross neck dress, flawless, bold makeup look, and chunky faux locs in a high puff, she sang the sultry lyrics to her songs with a confident presence. Looking back on that moment, she admits that she felt many emotions with the prominent one being nervousness. “A lot of artists that are considerably further in their career than I am still have not graced a Tiny Desk stage, so it’s a really big deal,” she told GU. “I was so nervous, but it was nerves fueled by excitement.”
With a Tiny Desk concert, a deluxe version of her second album and a completed small European tour, Shae Universe continues to have only one ultimate goal: create timeless music. “I want to leave a timeless legacy that in years to come, my music is still relevant, regardless of virality or not,” she said. “I feel like there’s not one specific formula; however, the feeling has to be there. That’s the thing that never dies.”
Infusing that specific feeling into music comes from vulnerability. With the recently released deluxe version of “Love’s Letter,” featuring six new songs, she continues to speak directly from her heart. Each song on the 16-track project comes from her own experiences and life lessons. It is a reflection of the ebbs and flows of life and love. Her message to everyone who listens is simple: give yourself grace.
“Life is a learning journey that never really stops, so there’s no final destination,” she said. “We’re always constantly learning and growing, and I feel like that’s probably why this project is going to be timeless, because that process is ever ongoing, and this project is a reflection of that process.”
Above all, the one thing she wants her supporters, or as she likes to call them “Shaeliens,” to know is that she genuinely cares about them. It’s the sole reason she weaves intentionality, thoughtfulness and vulnerability into every lyric. “I would want the world to know that Shae loves you,” she told GU. “Shae cares about you, and hopefully, Shae will be here to just cushion you through life.”
About the Author: Kayla Grant is a multimedia journalist with bylines in Shondaland, Black Love, theGrio, Business Insider and more. She writes about culture, books and entertainment news. When she’s not writing, Kayla’s traveling, reading, binging TV shows, or all of the above. Follow her on Twitter: @TheKaylaGrant.