Written Lauren Rosier
While the COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging through the United States, musicians across the world are struggling to stay afloat. Some are writing “pandemic” songs and finding inspiration in troubling times. NYC pop singer/songwriter, Shihori, has kept throughout the pandemic releasing two singles with themes surrounding self-compassion.
The video for one of the singles, “Perfect Imperfection,” was shot in the water in gorgeous Joshua Tree, CA. Shihori has had so many negative experiences, including a kidnapping experience and several disabilities, but she’s used through struggles to help her with her music. “It represents the process of accepting the past scars and who you really are (perfect imperfection) through struggle and rebirth into a sense of true self-acceptance,” Shihori explains.
The second single she released is titled “Soul Trip.” On this track, Shihori shows “the way to de-stress when faced with negativity and self-retreat to a higher frequency by invoking the power of music, melody and positive self-talk.”
The “Soul Trip” video represents “a trip to a higher frequency in a glitter set with colorful makeup and rhythmical transitions.” Doing these processes helped Shihori change the negative situation (pandemic and quarantine) into something positive.
Shihori is an artist that has the mindset of using her weaknesses as strengths. She was born deaf in her left ear, has Asperger’s Syndrome, and a form of dwarfism, people may have said that the odds are against her.
“I lived in my own imaginary world,” says Shihori.“I didn’t hear anything, I just created. I had no friends, but I didn’t even notice. People thought I was ignoring them many times but I just didn’t hear them, especially from my left side, and my right ear was for my imagination…everything sounds like music to me.”
As a quiet child, she spent the most time in her creative, imaginary world. “When I was seven, I found people stopped like stones and stared at me when I sang. That was the first time I really recognized other people around me and it was quite shocking to me. That interaction still happens between myself and my audience every time I sing.”
Shihori was always built to become a singer/songwriter. Her music and extraordinary voice built a connection with her audience. Despite Shihori being comfortable with her conditions, she, unfortunately, still faced many struggles with being accepted.
“I had to have plastic surgeries to make my left ear look ‘normal’ when I was nine and ten, although it didn’t turn out to be a success… that was a big surgery (to go through) as well,” she said of her ear condition.
“For the dwarf syndrome, I took growth hormone shots every day for seven years when I was a child and that treatment did work. I knew my parents really worried about me and they did everything out of love, so I have appreciated it but (with so much emphasis on my perceived flaws) I found much later that I was also hurt deep inside. It turned into eternal sorrow. I thought, ‘Why do I have to change my shape to be the same as everyone else? What’s wrong with looking different from others? I am not miserable!! I like how I was born!'”
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