ulture looks into the ideas of gender, being questioned last year in albums by Shamir ('Heterosexuality'), Hikaru Utada ('Bad Mode'), and Leikeli47 ('Shape Up'). "Each of these albums point to a path away from 'representation' being a totalizing force in discussions of how gender is broken down in music. Instead of existing solely as an identity for the artist in question to inhabit, the destruction of binary gender ideas can be a prerogative. Identity can only go so far. These artists show us how non-binary ideas of gender can be used as verbs, something to do, not just something to be".

"Shamir’s music makes the listener want to wake up. Listening to it is like being shaken awake, blinds thrown open... This music is wildly fun to listen to" - Consequence of Sound writes in a review of Shamir's self-titled album. NME says it's "hugely focused, each song short and sharp and coated in precise production". Under the Radar rightfully says ''Shamir' is a pop album... Succinct. Catchy. Honest".

Powerful new Lupe Fiasco song 'Shoes' was written from the perspective of the sneakers Ahmaud Arbery was wearing when he was murdered; Richard Barone's cover of Willie Nile’s 'Streets of New York' is just a warm love song to the city; Mastodon-At the Drive-in-QOTSA supergroup Gone Is Gone released psych-spacey rawk 'Everything Is Wonderfall', Shamir released 'I Wonder' from his self-titled album, out later this year.