New York-based singer-songwriter Shoni has released her new project, Shades of Blues, an eight-track exploration of resilience, vulnerability, and the transformative power of music. Blending contemporary blues, R&B, and soul with jazz-infused textures, the album captures both the weight of personal struggle and the light of perseverance.
Recorded in Virginia Beach, where Shoni grew up, the project is rooted in personal history. It reflects the challenges of her upbringing while doubling as a “bittersweet love song” to the place that shaped her. That duality runs throughout the record, as she navigates themes of family, faith, identity, and the beauty that can emerge from chaos.
The album opens with “Hwy 95,” a track that uses the highway as a metaphor for stalled ambition and the restless in-between spaces of life. The reflective mood continues with “Page,” which delicately balances the fear of vulnerability with the longing for authentic connection. In “Daddy’s Girls,” one of the record’s most unflinching songs, Shoni addresses paternal absence and generational wounds with lyrical irony, turning personal pain into collective storytelling.
Still, Shades of Blues is not without hope. “Won’t Complain” grounds the album in gratitude and faith, a reminder that survival itself can be an act of resilience. Meanwhile, “Bassline” featuring Jae Writez, celebrates music as refuge and connection, offering a moment of joy and sensuality within the record’s heavier themes. Shoni credits Jae Writez (Adrian C. Young Jr.) for helping her finish the project, underscoring the collaborative spirit that drives her work.
For Shoni, the purpose of Shades of Blues is clear: “I hope people know the importance of feeling every emotion as it comes and pushing through life’s blues. Regardless of what may be going on in your life and/or the world, beauty can come from chaos. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Since her 2019 debut single “Good Vibes,” Shoni has established herself as a versatile creative voice, singer, songwriter, audiobook narrator, and founder of the Beauty & Soul movement. With Shades of Blues, she brings all those worlds together, delivering an album that is both intimate and expansive, personal and universal.
Shades of Blues is available now on all major streaming platforms.