Who is Aka Shades? Introduce us to your project.
Aka Shades has been a lifetime in the making, it’s just an extension of who I am. The version of me that I choose to share with the world through song is a more extreme version. As Aka Shades I get to tell my story and speak my mind, and I can be as angry as I want, as loud as I want, and as unapologetic as I want.
Your music is a mixture between pop, hip hop, and hyperpop. Which artists served as inspiration for your projects?
I really do take inspiration from everywhere. I just live, eat, sleep, and breathe music. Growing up in the late ’90s and early ’00s, I was just consuming the best era of music. I was raised by Britney, P!nk, and Christina, but at the same time, I was so into other genres like Nu Metal. I was obsessed with that combination of Rock and hip hop. So blending genres has just become a natural place for me to exist.
You’ve taken your time to work on your new music. How does your new music differ from your first singles as an artist?
My first singles were very reflective of that time in my life. They feel very experimental and somewhat rough around the edges. I had a lot of bottled-up emotions, and I was still discovering my sound as an artist. I’m very proud of those tracks, but post-pandemic, I’m just coming from a very different place. I like to think of it as a paradigm shift with newfound perspectives. There’s a sense of clarity and maturity, and I think that translates into this next era of music.
