Indie rock artist Shamir has shared “Running,” the latest single from his self-titled record arriving Oct. 2, along with an accompanying music video. It follows previous singles “On My Own” and “I Wonder.”
The video includes animation from Faye Orlove, with the song’s lyrics featured on signs reminiscent of Shamir’s Las Vegas hometown. Shamir’s vocals blend seamlessly with the backing instrumentals, especially when the beat changes to highlight the line, “Done giving up my life.”
“‘Running’ is a song I wrote about a time in my life when I was a part of a toxic friend group where I was the only non-cis person,” Shamir explains. “The song is from the perspective of me now realizing how much it affected my mental health after being a few years removed and realizing how much I was dulling myself down so I did not stick out any more than I already did — and also how that directly made me experience gender dysphoria for the first time ever.”
Watch the video for “Running” below, and read Paste’s 2018 interview with Shamir here.