A first generation Pakistani based in the United States, Nashat, or ShottytheBeam as he goes by, is a musician who crosses multiple genres, styles, and ideas in his work. The multitalented artist creates all the beats, performs the vocals, writes the songs, mixes and masters the music as well as edits the music videos. All the while, he’s also playing piano, acoustic, electric guitar and drums.
If I had to try and pin ShottytheBeam’s style into one word, illusory would be my choice. If I had to boil it down to a single genre, modern shoegaze pop would be the appropriate descriptor. His array of influences all definitely play a part in the sound that he’s created. From modern styles like Mac Miller, Tyler the Creator, and Clairo to more diversified older inspirations like My Chemical Romance, The Beatles, and Green Day to even anime like Naruto, he truly is an amalgamation of a myriad of cultures as much as genres.
For fans of the more modern lo-fi, jazz rap style, listen to INCONSISTENT right now. The lead single from the project, it perfectly captures the energy, mood, and variability of our generation. Its followup on the album, LOVEYOURSELF just sounds so sedative and fun all at once. Nashat’s ability to transition from a mellow and relaxing chorus to a more punchy rap verse is a unique talent. ‘one hundred percent’ delves into the reliance of relationships, and that crushing sense of dependence we tend to fall into. The vocal duet is simply transcendent. Really, the entire album is littered with gems that you wouldn’t question once if they were on your Spotify viral charts. Nashat has truly captured a generation’s taste, mood, and aesthetic on this project.
On the entire concept of the album, Nashat describes it as the cycle of a day. “This album has a whole bunch of twists and turns that resolve into a grand ending that ties it all together well, but comes back around and starts again. The concept of the album is the cycle of a day, so it starts in the morning, and then you go throughout the day to finally night, and you wake up and do it again“.
The self described ‘greatest artist you have never heard of’ doesn’t really have a misguided sense of confidence. Given the modern landscape of pop music, Nashat might just be on the road to stardom. Jump on that bandwagon before its overflowing!
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