Nothings Real
Pop that’s both understated and immediate, from a rising singer/songwriter. On her long-awaited debut, Shura weaves together elegant, intricately patterned electro-pop that channels late-‘80s Madonna (“What’s It Gonna Be?”), Janet Jackson (“Indecision”), and more. Though it has the grand sweep and melodic goods of a major breakthrough, *Nothing Real* also bears the subtle flourishes (and song titles) of a reticent, deeply introspective mind.
On her latest record, Shura is at the vanguard of a scene of young queer pop stars who are updating the ’80s model of self-sufficient, fully liberated mainstream pop.
The bard of Shepherds Bush has written a debut album which revels in the power of pop music.
When Shura released her breakthrough track "Touch" in 2014, fans of her gauzy update of '80s pop and R&B immediately wanted more.
Like most teenage neuroses, scratch beyond the surface on songwriter Shura's debut and you’ll find there’s much more going on than first seems apparent.
Alexandra Lilah Denton's brand of bedroom pop came seemingly fully formed on her startlingly magnificent 2014 debut single as Shura, "Touch....
It’s hard to believe it’s been over two years since Shura first released ‘Touch’ into the blogosphere. Despite a couple of years
It’s often said Manchester’s Shura –AKA Alexandra Lilah Denton – draws from the synthetic groove of Madonna’s early years; but two years and 26m YouTube views after her effortlessly enveloping single Touch was released, her sound now seems to belongs to a less distant era: stripping drivetime pop of its pomp, adding subtlety and shyness in its place; the production languid, its ambience a pastel shade of plaintive – Nothing’s Real is pure blog-pop, of the sort that preceded chillwave and has since nearly faded out.
Shura’s proper debut has been in the works since “Touch”–with its irresistible synth plucks and refreshingly direct lyrics about how a relationship can change without either party realizing why–became a hit in 2014.
Nothing's RealArtist: ShuraGenre: PopLabel: PolydorManchester’s Shura (aka, but not to many, we think, Alexandra Lilah Denton) is possibly the only songwriter/musician to have been nominated for the BBC’s Sound of 2015 – or any other year, for that matter –who developed their songwriting skills while working in the Amazon rainforest.