Shura’s New Album, I Got Too Sad For My Friends, Explores Heartache And Resilience With A Warm, Earthy Glow

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Shura’s I Got Too Sad For My Friends transforms heartache into a warm, earthy blend of chamber pop and sixties folk, with the tender “I Wanna Be Loved By You” inviting listeners into a deeply vulnerable yet resilient world.

British singer-songwriter and producer Shura has unveiled her third album, I Got Too Sad For My Friends, out now via Play It Again Sam. Accompanying the release is the focus track “I Wanna Be Loved By You,” a tender piano ballad that distills the album’s emotional core—love, loss, and longing—into an intimate, candlelit singalong.

I Got Too Sad For My Friends

The years since Shura’s 2019 album forevher have been a rollercoaster. She embraced new passions, becoming a pro-streamer, playing Baldur’s Gate 3 twice, and adopting a “muscle mommy” persona inspired by Love Lies Bleeding. But the pandemic disrupted her forevher tour, shaking her sense of identity. Living in New York, isolated from family, Shura faced a health scare and preemptive grief for loved ones, with music becoming too painful to engage with. Feeling emotionally distant from friends added to her sense of isolation.

Despite its themes of depression and loneliness, I Got Too Sad For My Friends is far from bleak. Produced by Luke Smith (Foals, Shygirl, Depeche Mode) and featuring collaborations with Cassandra Jenkins, Becca Mancari, and Helado Negro, the album blends Shura’s crystalline sound with earthy textures like woodwinds, percussion, and Hammond organ flourishes. Drawing from the soft psych and folk of sixties Greenwich Village, it fuses vintage warmth with contemporary pop. The album’s New York influence reflects Shura’s time there and her unexpected relocation to the UK, with “Leonard Street” serving as a poignant farewell to the city.

The album’s artwork—Shura alone on a mountainside in a baggy jumper, ripped jeans, Converse, and incomplete armor—evokes Kurt Cobain and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo + Juliet. It mirrors the album’s pastoral storytelling and raw vulnerability. I Got Too Sad For My Friends is a candid, deeply human chapter in Shura’s artistry, inviting listeners to embrace their emotions and find connection in shared struggles.

Capturing Live Energy

The recording process prioritized raw performance over polished production. Keys, bass, guitar, and drums were tracked live, creating a timeless, organic feel. Shura’s exploration of new sonic landscapes adds depth, with the album’s warm chamber pop, sixties folk, and campfire Americana amplifying her introspective songwriting. Pre-release singles “Recognise,” “Richardson” (featuring Cassandra Jenkins), and “World’s Worst Girlfriend” showcased the album’s emotional and sonic range.

“I Wanna Be Loved By You” captures a vast emotional landscape with aching simplicity. Backed by a gospel-like choir of her partner, family, and friends, Shura sings of “all the types of love that there are,” creating a communal hymn that feels both personal and universal. The track embodies the album’s blend of vulnerability and connection.

Track List

Shura

Shura’s journey has earned her critical acclaim and a devoted fanbase. Her 2016 debut, Nothing’s Real, explored young heartbreak and queerness with brooding synth-pop, while forevher captured love’s euphoria. She’s performed at Glastonbury, Primavera Sound, and Coachella, sold out iconic London venues like The Roundhouse, and supported acts like Tegan and Sara. Collaborations with Mura Masa, Tracey Thorn, and others, plus remixes from Four Tet and Jungle, highlight her versatility. With over 200 million streams and placements in Heartstopper and Sex Education, Shura’s influence is undeniable.

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