“Embrace who you are.” We’ve all heard this, probably many times throughout our lives. Sometimes these words were uttered by beautiful people with minimal flaws, as they tried to persuade us to engage in self-love and buy a product. Other times, they were spoken to us by people who have embraced us long before we did, such as friends, family, and mentors. But to Shihori, a remarkably talented artist who's dealt with a number of difficult trials and challenges, these words are the mantra she has been living and breathing since the day she was born.
Her start in the world was a rough one. Shihori was born with left-ear deafness, dwarfism and Asperger's Syndrome. And even though she was fortunate to have a loving family, their desire to give her a “normal life” resulted in many attempts at fixing her looks, treating her conditions, and changing much of what nature gave her. This left Shihori feeling empty, depressed, and somewhat perplexed about how to navigate the rest of her life. Realizing that she had a gift for music at an early age, Shihori decided to focus her attention on developing her talent.
Although left-ear deafness is usually seen as a negative, the young artist was able to find a way to turn it into a positive. Leaning into the silence, rather than away from it, she allowed it to get her centered and focused, a state of mind that enabled her creativity. "I have rather considered my deafness as a 'gift,' and the other ear is a 'gift' as well because my right ear has a perfect pitch by nature." Her latest single “Perfect Imperfection” is very much about this journey.
For the track, Shihori employed the help of Dibs, a well-known “electronic and pop super-producer.” Fusing their distinct sounds, the collaboration features incredible melodies over electronic music inspired by Indie pop. "Shihori is one of those rare artists that can combine emotion with musicality in a way that hits you at your core,” explained Dibs. “With a beautiful voice and a powerful story to match, Shihori's music is truly something special, and I have no doubt it will touch the hearts of so many."
"Perfect Imperfection" is set to release on all digital platforms on August 7th, 2020. Shihori will be donating all Bandcamp proceeds from the single to Joyful Heart Foundation. Check out more of her work here.
Note* Single provided for objective review by our partners.