SHAB Turns Exile Into Anthems in FAME Magazine Cover Feature

From Tehran to Texas, global pop artist SHAB shares the story behind her double album ‘ONE SUITCASE’ in the latest issue of FAME.

TEXAS, TX, UNITED STATES, In the new cover feature with FAME magazine, pop star SHAB reflects on the extraordinary journey that shaped her music, from fleeing Iran as a teenager with nothing but a suitcase, to becoming a rising global pop force topping playlists and gracing magazine covers across three continents.

“This album is my story,” SHAB tells FAME. “It’s leaving everything behind and learning to stand tall in a place that didn’t feel like home yet. But it’s also joy. It’s freedom.”

Her double album ONE SUITCASE and its electric single LIPSTICK are about survival, reinvention, and fire wrapped in melody. As she explains in the feature: “I’ve been incredibly blessed to partner with amazing people and mentors. But ONE SUITCASE is my journey. From landing in New York as a 14-year-old refugee with everything I owned in one suitcase—to finding myself here. If you want to know me, listen to ONE SUITCASE.”

The FAME cover story highlights SHAB’s candid reflections on the odds she faced entering the music business. “I really had no idea what I was doing when I got into the music business four years ago,” she admits. Yet those early challenges only sharpened her sound and resolve.

Her songs weave together personal history and global pop sensibilities. From the cinematic opening track ALCHEMY, a meditation on leaving Iran, to the haunting closing ballad ONE SUITCASE, SHAB describes the album as a portrait of her trials and triumphs: “My trials, my causes, my predilections. It’s all in there.”

The feature also details her collaborations with top producers and songwriters, including Damon Sharpe and JHart. “We clicked instantly, and out of that came SWERVE and four other tracks on the album,” she recalls. “It was about capturing joy, even in chaos.”

And her message goes far beyond music. As SHAB explains in FAME: “It’s not just for Iran, it’s for women everywhere. Having lived through that kind of oppression, it took me years in the West to even understand my own identity as a woman. That’s why women’s rights are central to my music.”

For SHAB, ONE SUITCASE is more than an album, it’s a manifesto of resilience, empowerment, and unflinching pop ambition. Or as she tells FAME with a laugh: “First of all, who even releases a double album anymore? I wanted to put everything on the table, all the songs I’d been carrying with me since INFINITE LOVE. This is my suitcase, open for the world to see.”

About SHAB

Born in Iran and now based in the U.S., SHAB is a global pop artist whose music blends 80s grooves, shimmering synths, and heartfelt storytelling. Her songs, including Spell on Me, Criss Cross, and Indestructible, have amassed millions of streams worldwide. Her latest release, the double album ONE SUITCASE, follows her acclaimed record INFINITE LOVE and cements her as one of pop’s boldest voices.

Patrick Welsh
Rising Notes