A vibrant new artist, dark-pop star Sheldon Riley has returned with his latest single, the stellar ‘Again’, offering up a unique confession to self-sabotage and torment. A singer-songwriter from humble beginnings, Sheldon is a perfect example of pushing through adversity/pain and working to live your truth and dreams.
The orchestral, emotional and new-age cinematic vibe has the heart of a SIA track but the modern soundscapes from the likes of FKA Twigs. Riley’s original music showcases his empathetic and impactful songwriting abilities along with his exquisite and captivating vocals.
Speaking on the track Sheldon said, “Again is about recognising self-sabotage. I’m an artist who writes music about resolving pain, finding strength and confessing heartache. I wrote this song at a time where everything was going so great. I was working on myself, putting hurt behind me and found myself on a supported path where for the first time in a long time I felt a sense of control.”
The new cut gives a brilliant insight into Sheldon’s creative mind, delivering a powerful introspective piece, which looks deep into his inability to sustain happiness. A collaborative effort, the piece was co-written by Riley and Australian Producer Cyrus Villanueva. The instrumentation and lyrics alike shed moments of light and dark, anger and confusion and really follows alongside the vocal to help tell Riley’s story of recognising the damages of self-doubt and sabotage.
“It was at that moment that I realised I’m actually very uncomfortable living in my own happiness, almost like I felt guilt in feeling so happy. I recognised that as someone who has quite the history of being let down, I had created my own comfort in expecting things won’t go right and to never trust the possibility that happiness could be sustained,” continues Sheldon.
“Ultimately not trusting people, expecting I’ll be let down and things going wrong again and again now is a result of me sabotaging myself and my own happiness. Recognising that self-sabotage and self-torment is one of my greatest demons. I wrote this song as a confession, almost as I dive into exactly why... why I put myself into this spiral and what stops me from changing.”
Sheldon’s mesmerising and emotional sound paired with his avant-garde, high fashion style have truly laid the foundation for a disruptive entry into the music industry making him one of Australia’s most notable up and coming artists.
Connect with Sheldon Riley,
