Southeast London-born musician Shygirl is no stranger to wearing different creative hats. The artist, who began her career at the University of Bristol as a photographer, likes to challenge herself, constantly pushing the bounds of her comfort zone, whether that means creating music across genres or saying “yes” to challenges that test her nerves. The singer-songwriter and co-head of Nuxxe, the record label she co-founded, released her debut album, Nymph, just last year with its deluxe edition, Nymph_o, out this spring. The expanded album features a range of artists including Tinashe, Sevdaliza, Deto Black, and Erika de Casier.
In CULTURED's summer cover story, Shygirl spoke in conversation with another fellow creative, playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris, about the inspiration she draws from Tumblr, queer representation, and her need for constant artistic evolution. Here, in CULTURED’s ongoing 5 Points of Culture series, the musician shares some of her artistic, musical, and literary favorites, along with those that continue to inspire her practice. She's particularly entranced by recent performances from Rosalía and Mariah Carey, and appreciates simplicity in style when the content itself holds up. Her most unexpected love is the Disney princesses and villains. “There’s something magical about being so impressed upon at such a young age, and I think Disney really did that for me,” says Shygirl. Watch the video below for her full list of influences and inspirations.
Directed by Rachel Fleminger Hudson
Cinematography by Ali King
Edited by Hannah Tacher
Graded by John O’Riordan
A Pundersons Gardens Production
Post Produced by Grace Conway
Developed + Scanned by Cinelab
Styling by Nell Kalonji
Creative Direction by Studio& and Rachel Fleminger Hudson
A Pundersons Gardens Production
Executive Production by Tom Viney
Production by Grace Conway
Makeup by Celia Burton
Hair by Amidat Giwa
Nails by Angel My Linh
Set Design by Camilla Byles
Lighting by Dan Douglass
Lighting Assistance by Danny Cozens
Fashion Assistance by Honor Dangerfield and Giulia Bandioli
Photography Assistance by Gabor Herczegfalvi
Hair Assistance by Avrelle Delisser
Set Assistance by Tom Hope, Columba Williams, Penny Oliver, and Annabelle Hancock
