Emerging as a proven creative disruptor, critically acclaimed R&B enchantress India Shawn presents her anxiously awaited full-length debut album, Before We Go Deeper, via Epic Records. Listen to BEFORE WE GO DEEPER—HERE.
Flaunting a myriad of moods, her spirt shines on the single “CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE.” Clean throwback guitar threads through a head-nodding tambourine-driven beat as she relives the ups and downs of a rocky romance in a call-and-response chorus. At the heart of the track, she flexes her expansive vocal range, stretching from intimate intonation into moments of heavenly high register.
Stay tuned for the premiere of a cinematic music video to accompany the track.
BEFORE WE GO DEEPER evokes every side of INDIA’s inimitable style. “WHEN I CALL” glides on an otherworldly bounce as she urges, “Give me love, when I call, pick it up.” Her voice flutters above acoustic guitar on the intimate “SAME FLOOR,” while “JUST YOU” serves as sweet conclusion punctuated by a funky riff, swooning strings, and organic percussion. On the finale, she assures, “All I wanted is just you.” Meanwhile, the project boasts fan favorites such as “CALI LOVE,” “DON’T PLAY WITH MY HEART,” “TOO SWEET” [feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra], “NOT TOO DEEP” [feat. 6LACK], and “MOVIN ON” [feat. Anderson .Paak].
She teased out the record with “EXCHANGE” earlier this summer. Beyond generating 317K Spotify streams, it attracted widespread praise. SoulBounce exclaimed, “We think it’s safe to say that India Shawn knows how to do sexy,” while HotNewHipHop attested, “The Los Angeles-born singer uses her smooth voice over a catchy, sultry beat to show off her singing and songwriting talent.” YouKnowIGotSoul raved, “The stripped down ballad is a perfect display of her beautiful and sensual vocals,” and Rated R&B noted, “Each element evenly blends with her sultry murmurs of give-and-take in a romance that faces its shares of bumps and bruises.” Ebony christened her “one of the new wave of R&B singers to keep your eye on.”
INDIA picks up the momentum she ignited with 2021’s BEFORE WE GO EP. Beyond tallying over 10 million-plus streams, the project earned widespread critical acclaim. OKAYPLAYER named it one of “14 New Hip-Hop & R&B Albums You Should Be Listening To” and hailed it as “lush, moody, and reflective.” Snobette dubbed it “a sweetly smooth seven-song r&b project,” and HotNewHipHop summed it up as “perfect for R&B lovers.” Among many highlights, NPR applauded the single “DON’T PLAY WITH MY HEART” as “70s nostalgia at its finest, with a stank-face inducing bassline.”
Before We Go Deeper Tracklisting
1. INTRO [with Kaye Fox]
2. CALI LOVE FT. AMBRE
3. DON’T PLAY WITH MY HEART
4. TOO SWEET FT. Unknown Mortal Orchestra
5. WHEN I CALL
6. NOT TOO DEEP FT. 6LACK
7. EXCHANGE
8. SUPERFINE
9. CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE
10. SAME FLOOR
11. MOVIN ON FT. Anderson .Paak
12. TO CHANGE MY MIND
13. PATIENCE
14. JUST YOU
ABOUT INDIA SHAWN
India Shawn is unfiltered and fearless. Listening to the rising R&B singer/songwriter’s music feels less like playing a record and more like catching up with an old friend. She bares all—nothing is off-limits. This vulnerable approach has informed all of the music she’s released over the last few years, but she applies it with a special focus on her new album Before We Go (Deeper). Over 14 songs, she reflects on emotional highs and lows, shares buried secrets, and traces the contours of world-shattering heartbreak. She projects these deeply personal musings through a kaleidoscope of old-school R&B and West Coast cool that is as heady as it is undeniable. Launching her career in famed writing collective Full Circle, Shawn initially made waves in the music industry by penning hits for Chris Brown, Diddy-Dirty Money, El DeBarge, and Keri Hilson. In between performing in Kanye West’s Sunday Service and touring with Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals, the rising artist built a loyal — and rapidly growing — following with independent releases such as Origin and Outer Limits, which showcase her soulful and seductive approach. After garnering over 20 million streams and receiving critical acclaim from NPR, Billboard, HYPEBEAST, Noisey, and UPROXX, Shawn is finally ready to share all of herself and empower an even larger audience with her deeply personal anthems. “I’m a voice for women who know their worth and what they want,” she says. “And won’t settle for anything less.”
Photo credit: Dennis Leuphold
