Profile: Shang
Local Musician Shang is Pulling at Kansas City’s Heart Strings
Photos courtesy of Shang
A local musician, known as Shang, has just released a single, creatively titled “4444.” It can be streamed on both Spotify and Youtube. The song is a timeless blend of R&B with some electronic and pop influences. The lyrics convey heartbreak and longing, and a love as timeless as the city it was written in. At just one minute and seventeen seconds, the song is an easy listen; and an easy song to listen to on repeat. Shang has plans to release another single, hopefully some time this year.
Shang was raised here in Kansas City, in a multicultural home. Her Filipino heritage led her to spend some time overseas as a young child. Upon her return to Kansas City, her love and passion for music began to bloom. She and her father began doing local street performances when she was just 12 years old. Her popularity among the city grew, and she started doing more shows. This is where she found her love of performing.
After high school, Shang found herself in Atlanta, Georgia, where she signed with a local record label. She turned down an opportunity for a full ride scholarship, offered to her by the UMKC School of Music, to pursue her dreams. Unfortunately, the label became a point of contention, rather than one of cooperation and collaboration. This brought Shang back home to Kansas City, where she continued the legal battle against her record label. At this point in her life, Shang decided to take a step away from music, and focus on healing, and her creative process.
Her return to Kansas City proved to be both healing, as well as valuable to her music career. Casio McCombs, a producer whom she had had previous contact with, reached out to Shang in hopes of getting her back into the music scene. This gave our local artist a great sense of confidence and passion with her music once again. She is now signed to a creative label, Yume Sound, and plans to continue creating and producing music with them.
Look out for her next release of music on Youtube or Spotify, it will be something to look forward to!
