Blane Muise (born 4 May 1993), better known by her stage name Shygirl, is an English singer, DJ, rapper, songwriter and co-head/founder of record label and collective Nuxxe. Shygirl's music incorporates elements of

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

experimental pop Experimental pop is pop music that cannot be categorized within traditional musical boundaries or which attempts to push elements of existing popular forms into new areas. It may incorporate experimental music, experimental techniques such as m ...

grime Grime may refer to: * Dirt, in the form of black, ingrained dust Music * Grime music, a genre of music * ''Grime'' (album), a 2001 album by Iniquity * "Grime", a 2023 song by Macklemore from ''Ben'' * "Grime", a 2024 song by Kittie from ''Fire ...

and

deconstructed club Deconstructed club, also known as post-club or deconstructed music, is an experimental style of electronic dance music characterized by a post-modernist approach and an abrasive or dystopian tone. It stands opposed to the tropes of mainstream club ...

. She has also been associated with the

hyperpop Hyperpop (sometimes called bubblegum bass) is a loosely defined electronic music movement and microgenre that predominantly originated during the early 2010s in the United Kingdom. It is characterised by an exaggerated or maximalist take on p ...

music scene. Shygirl rose to prominence after working with close collaborator and friend

Sega Bodega Salvador Navarrete (born 16 February 1992), better known by his stage name Sega Bodega, is an Irish-Chilean music producer, singer, songwriter, DJ, and co-head/founder of the record label and collective Nuxxe. Sega Bodega is known for his futuri ...

, as well as other well-known

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...

producers Arca and

Sophie Sophie is a feminine given name, another version of Sophia, from the Greek word for "wisdom". People with the name Born in the Middle Ages * Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson * Soph ...

, and gaining attention from the likes of

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

, who has used various Nuxxe tracks for her

Fenty Beauty Fenty Beauty LLC (stylized as FEИTY BEAUTY) is a cosmetics brand by Rihanna, that was launched on September 8, 2017. Popular for its broad inclusivity across various skin tones, its Pro Filt'R foundation became in high-demand upon its first rel ...

commercials and fashion shows. Shygirl has released various singles since 2016, and three EPs titled ''Cruel Practice'', '' Alias'' and '' Club Shy''. Her debut studio album ''

Nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

'' was released on 30 September 2022 to widespread acclaim from music critics.

Early life and career

Shygirl was born in South London and grew up around Blackheath. She is of Grenadian descent. She describes herself as a "total homebody" and "delving into fantasy and reading constantly" growing up. She was her secondary school's

head girl The two Senior Prefects, individually called Head Boy (for the male), and Head Girl (for the female) are students who carry leadership roles and are responsible for representing the school's entire student body. Although mostly out of use, in some ...

. She went on to study practical photography at the

University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a public university, public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Br ...

, travelling back to London on the weekends for parties. Shygirl released her first single "Want More", produced by

in 2016. This was the first song released on the Nuxxe label, founded by Shygirl, Sega Bodega, and

Coucou Chloe Chloe Erika Jane Olivié, known by her stage name Coucou Chloe or Coucou Chloé, is a French music producer, singer and DJ, living in London. Biography Olivié grew up in Biot, a village in the south of France. As a child she played a lot of pian ...

. She went on to work with Sega Bodega on her singles "Msry" and "Nvr" in 2017, having featured on his song "CC" earlier in the year. In 2018, Shygirl quit her day job at a modelling agency to pursue her music career. In May 2018, Shygirl released her debut EP, ''Cruel Practice'', on Nuxxe. The EP received positive reviews from ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'', ''

Crack Magazine ''Crack'' is a monthly independent music and culture magazine distributed across Europe. Founded in Bristol in the UK in 2009, the magazine has featured Björk, MF Doom, Lil Yachty, FKA twigs, Gorillaz and Queens of the Stone Age on the cover ...

'' and ''

Tiny Mix Tapes ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, ...

''. She featured on Arca's song "Watch" on her 2020 album, ''

Kick I ''Kick I'' (stylized as ''KiCk i''; pronounced "kick one") is the fourth studio album by Venezuelan electronic record producer Arca. Recorded between Barcelona and London, the album was released on 26 June 2020 through XL Recordings. ''Kick I'' ...

''. The pair had previously collaborated on the song "Unconditional", with all of the proceeds from that single going towards

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...

and Inquest UK. In November 2020, she released her second EP, ''Alias'' on the

Because Music Because Music is a record label based in France. The label was founded in 2004 by Emmanuel de Buretel and Eric Bielsa upon their exit from major labels. Because Music has acts such as Justice, Christine and the Queens and Aime Simone on their r ...

label. This EP received positive attention from ''Pitchfork'', ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

'' and ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

''. ''Alias'' was listed as one of the best EPs of 2020 by audio and music publication ''MusicNGear''. In June 2021, Shygirl released a performance film titled "Blu". It featured performances of songs from her ''Alias'' EP, as well as a new song, titled "BDE" featuring British rapper

slowthai Tyron Kaymone Frampton (born 18 December 1994), better known by his stage name Slowthai (stylised in lowercase), is a British rapper. Raised in Northampton, he rose to popularity in 2019 for his gritty and rough instrumentals and raw, Music and ...

. She released the song as a single the next day. She would later release the ''BDE 3XL'' remix EP in September. Shygirl and British producer

Mura Masa Alexander George Edward Crossan (born 5 April 1996), better known by his stage name Mura Masa, is a Guernsey-born electronic record producer and songwriter. Crossan is best known for his 2016 song " Lovesick" (featuring ASAP Rocky), which pea ...

were additionally featured on a remix of

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

and

Blackpink Blackpink (, stylized in all caps or as BLɅϽKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment. The group is composed of four members: Jisoo, Jennie (singer), Jennie, Rosé (singer), Rosé, and Lisa (rapper), Lisa. Regarded by ...

's " Sour Candy" on Lady Gaga's ''

Dawn of Chromatica ''Dawn of Chromatica'' is the third remix album by American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga, released on September 3, 2021, by Streamline and Interscope Records. Consisting of remixes of songs from Gaga's sixth studio album, '' Chromatica'' (2020), t ...

'' remix album. In September 2022, Shygirl released her debut studio album titled ''Nymph''. The album received critical acclaim from ''

'', ''Crack Magazine'' and ''Pitchfork''. On 15 September 2023, Shygirl was the opening act for the

Sugababes The Sugababes are an English girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhán Donaghy. The lineup changed three times before returning to the original lineup in 2011. Formed in 1998 by Ron Tom, the manager of All Saints, ...

' One Night Only concert at

The O2 Arena The O2 Arena, commonly known as The O2, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of The O2 entertainment district on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London, England. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the third-highest seat ...

. Shygirl appeared as opener across North America from September 15 to October 23, 2024 as part of the

Sweat Tour Sweat was a co-headlining concert tour by English singer-songwriter Charli XCX and Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan, in support of their albums ''Brat'' (2024) and '' Something to Give Each Other'' (2023), respectively. The tour began on ...

with

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...

and

Troye Sivan Troye Sivan Mellet ( ; born 5 June 1995) is an Australian singer-songwriter and actor. After gaining popularity as a singer on YouTube and in Australian talent competitions, Sivan signed with Universal Music Australia, EMI Australia in 2013 and ...

Influences

Shygirl has listed

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...

Aphex Twin Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), known professionally as Aphex Twin, is a British musician, composer and DJ active in electronic music since 1988. His idiosyncratic work has drawn on many styles, including techno, ambient music, ambi ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

, and

Róisín Murphy Róisín Marie Murphy ( , ; born 5 July 1973) is an Irish singer, songwriter and record producer who first became known in the 1990s as one half of the Pop music, pop duo Moloko alongside the English musician Mark Brydon. After the breakup of M ...

as her biggest musical influences.

Personal life

Shygirl identifies as

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

Discography

Studio albums

Remix albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Other charted songs

Guest appearances

Music videos

Awards and nominations

References

{{reflist Living people English women rappers Grime music artists English hip-hop musicians English women in electronic music 21st-century English women singers 21st-century English singers 21st-century women rappers English people of Grenadian descent British hip-hop singers Rappers from the Royal Borough of Greenwich Rappers from the London Borough of Lewisham Singers from the Royal Borough of Greenwich Singers from the London Borough of Lewisham English women DJs Black British women rappers British women rappers 21st-century Black British women singers 21st-century British women singers Because Music artists 1993 births OnlyFans creators People from Blackheath, London British queer musicians British queer women English LGBTQ rappers LGBTQ women singers Queer singers