By: Jessica Kenley
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/28/2026 – When SHAB talks about success, she doesn’t begin with Billboard charts, streaming numbers, or sold-out performances. She begins with a simple truth.
“People just see the end result,” she says.
For audiences discovering the international pop artist through her infectious new single, “Perfume (Remix),” the glamorous visuals, polished choreography, and confident stage presence may seem effortless. But behind the shimmering pop production is a woman whose life has been shaped by extraordinary resilience—a refugee who fled religious extremism in Iran, spent years separated from her family, and eventually rebuilt her life in the United States.
Now, following three Billboard and Mediabase Top 40 hits in less than a year, SHAB has emerged as one of pop music’s most compelling independent artists. Yet despite the growing recognition, she remains remarkably grounded, speaking less about fame than about gratitude, purpose, and lifting others along the way.
Her newest release, “Perfume (Remix),” arrived after fans made it clear they weren’t ready to move on from the original.
“The remix sort of happened because of the fans,” SHAB explains. “When we released ‘Perfume,’ it was kind of an overwhelming response. People were dancing to it, sending messages, and we thought, ‘Maybe this chapter isn’t over yet.’”
The dance-ready remix breathes new life into a song already celebrated for blending sleek contemporary pop with subtle Persian influences. While the remix amplifies the energy, SHAB says preserving the song’s unique identity remained essential.
“I wanted it to be different,” she says. “A little more poppy than doing it like everyone else is doing.”
That originality extends to the songwriting process itself. SHAB collaborated with hitmaker Bonnie McKee, whose songwriting credits include some of Katy Perry’s biggest hits, along with Damon Sharp and British songwriter JHart.
“When you have a collaboration of all of these different backgrounds and people come together, everybody inspires everybody else,” she says. “‘Perfume‘ was born that day.”
Yet for SHAB, music is inseparable from her personal story.
Born in Iran, her family fled the country to escape religious extremism, leaving behind virtually everything they owned. Like countless refugee families, they began again with little more than hope.
“We left behind everything we owned,” she recalls. “We just prayed and kept surviving.”
Part of that journey meant spending nearly five years in boarding school in Germany, separated from her mother and siblings during some of the most formative years of her childhood. Today, as the mother of a nine-year-old son and an eight-year-old daughter, those memories have taken on new meaning.
“My daughter is eight now,” she says. “I can’t believe I would have had to send her away somewhere so I could give her a better life.”
Instead of dwelling on that pain, motherhood has become a source of healing.
“I’m experiencing my childhood again through my children,” she says. “It’s been beautiful. It’s healing me in so many ways.”
That gratitude permeates nearly every answer she gives.
“I always felt grateful for the opportunity this country gave me,” she says. “I love America.”
As a mother who began raising children later in life, SHAB believes the timing gave her perspective she might not have possessed in her twenties.
“I wanted to be ready when I was a mom,” she explains. “I love being home with my children. They bring so much joy.”
Those life experiences now shape the messages woven throughout her music.
“I just hope women feel seen,” she says. “I hope they feel beautiful exactly the way they are. I hope they feel brave enough to take space and believe their voice matters.”
For SHAB, confidence has little to do with celebrity.
“The confidence isn’t about being the loudest person in the room,” she says. “It’s about walking into the room already knowing your worth.”
If one woman hears her music and finds the courage to overcome fear, SHAB believes she has succeeded.
“If my music reminds even one woman that she’s stronger than her fears, I’ve done my job.”
Her recent climb onto the Billboard charts has been exciting, she says, but more than anything, it has been humbling.
“When people see these charts, they usually see the celebration,” SHAB says. “They don’t always see the years of writing and recording and learning and doubting yourself.”
Rather than measuring success by speed, she embraces the journey.
“It’s not about fast,” she says. “It’s about the journey.”
That philosophy influences every aspect of her career, including the people she chooses to work with.
Instead of always seeking the industry’s biggest names, SHAB intentionally looks for emerging DJs, dancers, and creatives whose talent simply needs an opportunity.
“I’m looking for that underdog,” she says. “I want to pull you up. I want to change your life.”
Her dream, she says, isn’t merely to become a bigger star.
“I want to be a dream maker. I don’t want to be a gatekeeper.”
Whether she’s hiring dancers, producing music videos, or collaborating on new music, she sees every project as an opportunity to help someone else’s dream come true.
“We all could be somewhere else right now,” she says of her production teams. “But we chose to be here. How lucky are we that this is our office?”
That spirit of generosity extends beyond music.
As an ambassador for the UK-based refugee charity Choose Love, SHAB says the organization’s mission resonates deeply because it reflects her own life story.
“When God keeps blessing you, you have to make sure you’re aligning yourself with places where you’re helping people because you were once in that same place.”
She and her husband also support charitable work benefiting homeless mothers and children, even donating all of the proceeds from her first album to causes they believe in.
“When God blesses you, bless others,” she says. “It’s about changing lives. It’s not about selfish fame; it’s about selfless fame.”
Perhaps the most surprising revelation from our conversation came when SHAB reflected on beginning her recording career later than many pop artists.
Far from seeing age as an obstacle, she believes it became one of her greatest strengths.
“I always say it’s never too late,” she says. “As long as you have vitality and energy, you can do anything you put your mind to.”
She laughs while recalling a motivational message that reminded her many of history’s greatest creators found their true success after turning 40.
“Your life is just starting,” she says.
For women especially, her advice is simple: don’t compare yourself to anyone else.
“The only woman you need to be better than is the woman you were yesterday.”
It’s a lesson she learned firsthand. Early in her career, surrounded by professional dancers, she questioned whether she belonged. With encouragement from her husband and years of vocal training, she pushed through self-doubt rather than surrendering to it.
Before our conversation ended, I asked what she would say to the younger version of herself, or to any young woman watching her career today.
Her answer arrived without hesitation.
“Don’t ever let someone else’s limitations become your own.”
She paused before adding another reminder that feels especially relevant in today’s social media-driven world.
“Your story, your voice, your culture, your imperfections, those are your greatest strengths.”
In an industry often obsessed with image, SHAB’s greatest appeal may not be her polished performances or infectious pop hooks. It may be her authenticity. She speaks openly about faith, motherhood, resilience, and gratitude with the same sincerity she brings to the stage.
“Choose love,” she says.
Listening to her, it becomes clear those aren’t just lyrics, or even a philosophy.
They’re the story she’s chosen to live.
SHAB is donating all of her profits from purchases of the One Suitcase album to support displaced people around the world. Her advocacy is deeply personal, having lived the challenges of being a refugee, and aligns with her mission to empower others through her music as well as her work with charitable organizations.
Follow SHAB on all of the major streaming platforms, and prepare to be uplifted, inspired, and amazed by this extraordinary woman, who is using her platform to do wonderful things in this world for some of the most vulnerable populations.
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