A Quick Chat with Shristy

What kind of sonic or visual world did you want to create with ‘Waiting 4 U’?

I wanted to invite people into this tougher version of me that emerged after a breakup - the version I’ve gotten to know through the creative process of this release / EP. Sonically and visually, I wanted to amplify that growth tenfold. The sound leans into something edgier yet still pop-driven, with strong pop-punk influences. Visually, it’s about “making the best out of a crap situation” - it’s polished but intentionally a bit unpolished too. Things are broken, but in a Vogue kind of way - chaotic but beautiful.

Were there particular artists, genres, or eras that inspired the sound palette for this track?

Absolutely, it’s rooted in 2000s pop-punk. I wanted that nostalgic summer energy, so No Doubt, Blink-182, and The Veronicas all came to mind. That era of music had this unapologetic loudness and emotional edge I really connect with. When I started writing, the sound naturally came to mind. It felt like the perfect outlet for all this raw, punk-feminine energy that was pouring out of me.

Your music often weaves Pop, R&B, and electronic textures. How do you balance experimentation with accessibility?

At its core, my sound will always be pop. But I see pop as a playground - a space where I can pull from different influences and textures to tell my stories. I love blending styles and pushing what people expect from “pop music,” but it always comes back to strong melodies, emotion, and honesty. That’s the glue that keeps everything accessible, no matter how experimental the sound gets.

Collaboration has been key in your past releases — did anyone else help shape ‘Waiting 4 U’, or was this a more solitary project?

This was actually one of the few songs where I gave up a lot of creative control. Usually, I like to have about 80% of a track done before I bring anyone in - but this one was different. I came up with the melody and lyrics first, and for months it just lived in my head, just something I’d sing for myself. Knowing I needed to get this down, I hit up Stuart B (producer on this track) and sent him a voice memo of me singing - no demo, not even a metronome against the voice memo, nothing haha. We eventually got in the studio, I explained what I was hearing in my head, and Stu well and truly brought it to life exactly how I’d imagined it.

If ‘Waiting 4 U’ were a scene in a movie, what would it look and feel like?

I always imagined that moment in a movie where the lead actress breaks free from a toxic situation, and she’s running in the city, it starts to pour but she’s running with this sense of relief, realisation and euphoria - that real “ah ha” moment. I’m pretty sure I told Stu this in the studio and said I wanted to pre-chorus / chorus to feel like that haha - cause that’s truly the emotion this song was born out of.

How does this release set the tone for where you’re heading next creatively?
‘Waiting 4 U’ is part of my upcoming EP Fractured, which I’m rolling out gradually. Why Do I Care was the first track, and each song explores a different stage of healing after heartbreak. Most of the songs have that live, energetic edge with a nostalgic 2000s pop-punk core. This era is all about turning pain into empowerment - expect more vulnerability, feel-good pop, and a strong feminine perspective throughout.