Sombr may have a number of songs on the pop charts, but don’t you dare label him a “pop star.”
Speaking to CR Fashion Book, the singer born Shane Boose explains that with his debut album I Barely Know Her, “My reference point was to make iconic alternative-rock hits.”
“Ever since I’ve had ‘hits,’ I’ve been labeled as a pop star, but I want to clarify to not listen to [this album] from that lens. Don’t look at this album looking for pop hits or looking for the next Sab Carp — love her,” he says, referring to Sabrina Carpenter. “I’m making what I want to make … I want the career trajectory of Sombr.”
Sombr wrote every song on I Barely Know Her alone, with no co-writers, which is a rarity in music today. When it comes to his personal life, he doesn’t want to be alone, but he wants to make sure he’s with the right person.
“I think I’ve become a lot more picky and a lot less desperate,” he tells the publication. “I’m just interested in people that have their thing going and that I can be a fan of, and kind of look up to.” And he’s thankful to have his family around him to protect him from anyone who doesn’t have his best interests at heart.
“I’ve achieved a certain level of success where there are just naturally going to be people around who want to associate with you for various reasons. It’s how it is,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot of people [who] are massively surrounded by ‘yes men,’ and it seems like a lot of people have tainted realities. My family pulls me away from that.”
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