Sarah Shafey is a critically-acclaimed restlessly-creative artist who has been praised for her stylish and passionate music, her polished but vibey production aesthetic, and her singular artistry. She is also an in-demand mix engineer for artists across genres who works out of her own Squeaky Clean Records studio. Shafey’s production and mixing work have been integral in evolving her personal sound over the years from piano folk-pop, to pop electronic, to emotive alternative, to shoegaze, to grunge, and beyond.
The princess and dragon paradigm in literature is the old tired notion that a woman needs rescuing from a larger-than-life male character. Robert Munsch’s 1980 children’s book, The Paper Bag Princess, reverses this narrative, and has earned great acclaim from feminists. In Munsch’s story, the princess discovers her own agency and independence, defying traditional norms.
When award-winning Canadian-Egyptian artist and producer Sarah Shafey began her fifth album, Munsch’s book and its empowering message was at the forefront of her mind. Her thought-provoking and hard-rocking new album—aptly-titled The Paper Bag Princess—merges feminist ethos and personal revelation with 1990s grunge.
Shafey has explored a variety of genres over the years, but homed in on grunge as the mode of expression for the messaging on The Paper Bag Princess. It’s a compelling gesture as most grunge-era bands were male dominated. Much like Munsch before her, Shafey is flipping a narrative through showing a woman in power in a traditionally male-dominated realm.
Shafey is a classical-trained pianist, a prolific songwriter, a producer, a tech executive, and an active women’s empowerment advocate. The Paper Bag Princess is a holistic artistic statement combining many facets of her identity.
Today Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of Shafey’s new single “Messin Around” and its music video. Oozing with vintage charm, the song evokes 1960s-era girl groups but with edgy guitars that uphold The Paper Bag Princess’s 1990s grunge aesthetic. Wits catchy melodies and upbeat tempo, the song addresses the shock of re-entering the dating scene after years of being off-market. The fun and rocking tune is complemented by the video featuring throwback scenes.
Sarah Shafey describes the inspiration behind the tune:
“From a dusty old track, ‘Messin Around’ says: when life gets heavy, sometimes you just gotta laugh and embrace the lighter side. Like a vintage record, it’s a reminder to let go and just… mess around.”
WATCH:
