Shae Universe’s new Unorthodox EP has been on repeat since it dropped last week on April 1st.

The much anticipated 7 track project is the first of its kind, blending 808 slides and spartan drum patterns with Shaé’s silky vocals and emotive lyricism. It explores the distinct R&Drill sound that we are starting to associate with the British Nigerian singer and features the likes of ENNY, Kojey Radical and Tay Iwar.

Since busting onto the scene in 2017, Nigerian-British Shaé has made waves in the UK, West Africa and beyond making music that engages, enchants and inspires. She takes inspiration from the church her mother a gospel singer and her father a pastor, Shaé weaves her spirituality, faith and sensuality through her work.

Unorthodox is an EP that has impeccable collaborations and already has 2,955,816 streams on Spotify. The track Sit Back ft Enny produced by Sons of Sonix was the last single to be released in the run-up to the ep launch, setting media alight with its sensuality and feminine energy. Enny is vibing on the track which is a silky slow burner, she’s rapping with an ease showcasing a shared connection with Shae. The energy on Royalty is incredible, the guitar instrumental playing the rift sets the tone and Shae’s vocals is mesmerising climbing to reach the higher notes with expert control. Kojey cementing his claim as one of the biggest UK artists this year delivers as well.

The honestly and vulnerability in Wicked Ways bleeds through in Shae’s melodic vocals as she descrbibes finally wakes up from her partners “spell”. She smoothly transitions from to spitting bars that hit with deadly accuracy.

Shaé teams up with Nigerian singer-songwriter Tay Iwar in the seductive Shineee before closing the project with the ethereal 111, the single making a nod to Shaé’s deep-rooted spirituality.

The enchanting You Lose opens the project, which sees Shaé switch between emotive melodies and sharp flows as she wields her pen on the trials of toxic relationships. We also subtly hear the influence from Monsta’s ‘sorry’, a UK Garage classic from back in the day. Whilst the exhilarating Pushin blends delicate riffs and soaring synth patterns.

Speaking on Unorthodox, Shaé said -

“This EP is so far from everything I imagined my first ever debut EP to be, but in a wonderfully refreshing way. I’m so excited to see what it does in the world!”

Shaé is an artist who can both sing and rap, has been co-signed by the likes of Kojey Radical, Ms Banks and Etta Bond, and has remained entirely independent - navigating the industry on her own terms. 2022 is set to be Shae’s biggest year yet.