This Ukrainian-born, Los Angeles–based artist and Berklee College of Music graduate is ready to make her mark with a fearless pop intensity. From the opening moments of Lera Shemi’s striking debut ‘such a gooD boy’, she crafts an edgey atmosphere that feels both seductive and unsettling, pulling the listener into a dark world of desire, danger, and reckless abandon. The production is suitably alternative with layers of distorted drums and heavy bass grit over which her beguiling vocals cement a commanding presence. This pulsing and industrial sound simply demands attention.

It’s clear that Lera is in full control of her sound, purposefully shaping every layer herself as producer and engineer. ‘such a gooD boy’ explores the chaos of temptation, the thrill of chasing what you know may ruin you, and the intoxicating appeal of surrendering to it anyway. Lera’s bold lyrics are brimming with tension and charged with a dangerous sexuality, which alongside the sonic suspense, plays with that push-and-pull of dominance and submission. It hints towards an unbridled liberation in destruction… although with an unknown price to pay. We’re so impressed with how Lera Shemi has arrived on the alt-pop scene with something so subversive, unexpected and unapologetic. This debut is impossible to ignore.

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