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070 Shake brings the ‘Petrichor’ tour to her true home, Los Angeles

BBG News

For 070 Shake, everything comes back to $50.

About a decade past, when she was still a teenager, this musician spent nearly every moment composing music within her New Jersey residence. When she reached the stage where she wanted to record in a professional studio, she found herself short of funds due to a $50 rental fee. Unable to afford it, she approached her mother for help, only to be met with laughter. Defeated, she resigned and went on with her day. Upon leaving, she spotted a brand-new $50 bill lying casually on the kitchen counter.

Danielle Balbuena, a musician, expressed her gratitude: “I realized she couldn’t afford to help me financially. Yet, she took a chance on me. If I consider it from her point of view and understand that this [music] is all my child has, it seems like a choice between this or nothing. She understood that if she didn’t lend me $50, I might have ended up in trouble or worse… And thankfully, here I am at the Chateau now.

27-year-old singer, wearing a newsboy cap and a tailored Canadian tuxedo, casually occupied a corner booth in Chateau Marmont’s restaurant, enjoying a glass of Bordeaux wine. Enveloped by plush velvet furnishings and dimly illuminated artwork, the “Guilty Conscious” singer was in Los Angeles for a brief pause from her global tour. Currently promoting her third album, “Petrichor,” Shake expresses that she is adopting a more focused mindset for this series of performances. On Friday, she’ll convey that focus to her L.A. fans at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall.

Shake shared, “I prefer to emphasize the emotional impact rather than the bodily reaction of my audience. What I’m aiming for is capturing an intangible, spiritual connection through music. I want to explore the invisible bond that arises when music resonates within us, a bond that we can sense but not grasp or touch. Essentially, I am trying to delve deeper into how the unique frequencies I’ve crafted — which have never been heard before in this world — evoke feelings within people.

In her tours for albums “Modus Vivendi” and “You Can’t Kill Me,” she adopted a style reminiscent of a rock star, characterized by a deliberate carelessness – such as the singer frequently crowd surfing on a mosh pit while wearing a suit and tie each night. However, Shake clarifies that this vivaciousness hasn’t waned with “Petrichor.” Instead, she is focusing more on maturity in this album.

Following the discovery of that crucial $50 bill and the creation of her inaugural track titled “Proud,” she negotiated a deal with the studio owner. Under this agreement, she was granted unlimited recording time, but in return, she had to secure employment and hand over her salary checks – Shake consented. During the day, she held down a job at a children’s indoor playground known as Pump It Up, while by night, she and her friends, who were collectively known as 070, persisted in recording and uploading tracks to Soundcloud.

In 2016, Shake’s music grabbed the notice of Kanye West’s record label G.O.O.D. Music and she secured a recording contract with them. Following this, she launched her debut EP, titled “Glitter,” in 2018, and during the same year, her voice was showcased on two of Ye’s tracks, “Ghost Town” and “Violent Crimes.” With her distinctive autotuned vocal fry, Shake delivered a catchy verse about touching a stove. This set Shake on the road to fame in the rap music scene.

After her initial successes in her career, some of her more recent achievements are her collaboration with Raye on “Escapism” (2022) and her own single “Guilty Conscious,” the lead track from her debut album. This song also received a remix by Tame Impala.

As she prepared for her third album, “Petrichor,” she aimed to blend classical tones into her music. This album was released in November. She successfully merged her dark, futuristic sound with a grand orchestral arrangement. The strings build up dramatically in “Pieces of You,” while “Into Your Garden” features soft, theatrical piano notes and hints of an electric guitar submerged beneath, all seamlessly integrated with her signature electronic elements.

In terms of sound and lyrics, Shake has consistently embraced radicalism in her music. As she delves deeper into the themes of love’s intensity and absence, the lyrics of “Petrichor” demonstrate her readiness to push the boundaries of her artistic expression, particularly when it comes to love and mortality.

Shake expressed that while there’s beauty in subtlety, it’s not his style. He feels that his approach is more intense and authentic to him, which is simply a part of who he is.

On the track “Blood on Your Hands,” which veers more towards spoken word than traditional rap, she expresses, “If I perish, may it be you who takes my life. I wish for your hands to bear my blood.” As an industrial-style synth guides the song, the voice of her partner, actress Lily Rose Depp, starts to read from a diary – revealing their intense emotional bond.

As a passionate cinephile, I find myself drawn to the subject of mortality time and again. What captivates me is that it’s an experience shared by all, yet it remains shrouded in silence, making it perhaps the most intriguing topic under the sun. It represents the grandest aspect of our lives, but also stirs a deep-seated fear within us. It’s the unseen force that guides us to walk on the safe pathways, stop at traffic lights, and make conscious choices about what we consume – water, food, or even emotions. Yet, it is an inevitability that lies ahead for each one of us.

In terms of creative expression, the individual – having resided in Los Angeles for the last six years – offers insights from her New Jersey background. In the song “Winter Baby / New Jersey Blues,” reminiscent of The Beach Boys’ style, she touches upon the theme of having endured hardships and exposure to harmful substances like polluted air and processed food. This song serves as an ode against nostalgia, allowing her to discard her old life filled with instant noodles and low-cost salami in “grimy Jersey,” welcoming a fresh one abundant with Erewhon smoothies instead.

As a dedicated film lover, I’ve resided in the same house for two decades – time that felt more like an obligation than a home. Now, it seems alien, a new dwelling has emerged in its place.

The privilege to indulge in delectable meals is mine now, yet it often saddens me, recalling my past where choices were limited, shaped by the hand I was dealt.

As Shake embraces her new lifestyle, she finds herself acknowledging the significance of the $50 bill her mother left behind over a decade ago, an incident they’ve never explicitly talked about since. “I owe her thanks not just for that, but for everything I possess in my life.

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2025-02-25 19:31

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