If your end-of-summer soundtrack needs a little more glitter, yearning and dance-floor drama, Disco Shrine has you covered.
The budding LA-based DJ, producer and dance-pop artist is turning all the complicated feelings that come with falling in love into something you can actually dance to with her latest single, “Only You.” Released July 17, the shimmering track pairs euphoric dance-pop production with soaring vocals and a vulnerable side of Disco Shrine that fans haven’t seen quite like this before.
And while the song may be all about letting your guard down, Disco Shrine’s larger-than-life artistry has always been about doing exactly that — just with a little more sparkle.
Known for her “Persian Barbie” and “Disco Daddy” alter egos, her Barbie Rave community and her genre-bending mix of hardstyle, mall-pop and club culture, Disco Shrine has created a world where being too much is actually the whole point.
“I finally was able to give myself permission to have more creative freedom and be unapologetically myself,” she tells Celeb Secrets, reflecting on the moment she dyed her hair blonde and felt like her outside finally matched who she was on the inside.
That unapologetic energy shines through in “Only You,” but there’s a softer story underneath the glitter. Disco reveals that she wrote the track while falling in love and learning to finally sit in happiness without letting her inner saboteur take over.
“I was falling in love and, for the first time, reaching a place where I could let my guard down,” she shares.
Naturally, we had to know more, so we sat down Disco Shrine for a Q&A where she gets candid about the moment she truly became Disco Shrine, why she refuses to fit into one box and how her alter egos allow her to explore the most fearless parts of herself.
Keep reading for more and don’t forget to let us know if you’re loving Disco Shrine’s music by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs at @celebsecrets.
Celeb Secrets: Every artist has that “this is who I am” moment. When did Disco Shrine go from being an idea to feeling like your true identity, and what made you realize this was the lane you were meant to carve out?
Disco Shrine: “When I dyed my hair blonde, I suddenly felt like my outside finally reflected who I was on the inside. I finally was able to give myself permission to have more creative freedom and be unapologetically myself.”
CS: You’ve described your world as this collision of hardstyle, mall-pop, club culture, and your Persian roots. When someone steps into the universe of Disco Shrine for the first time, what’s the one thing you hope they immediately understand about who you are as an artist?
DS: “That you don’t have to fit neatly into one box. Disco Shrine is where all the different and sometimes contradictory parts of me get to exist at once. If that makes someone else feel free to be all of who they are, then the art has served its purpose.”
CS: Between your “Persian Barbie,” “Disco Daddy,” and Barbie Rave worlds, you’ve created characters and a community that feels bigger than just music. Do those alter egos help you express different sides of yourself, or have they somehow become extensions of who you already are?
DS: “A little bit of both. I think they allow me to be more extreme versions of myself without fear. Sometimes, hiding behind a character makes it feel more acceptable to do anything. But it’s also liberating because that persona already exists inside me, just caged in.”
CS: Your music has this incredible balance of vulnerability and absolute dance-floor euphoria. Why is it so important to you to let people cry and dance at the same time?
DS: “I think there’s a big divide between ‘sad girl’ music and dance music. One has to be super depressing, while the other is all about confidence and escape. I don’t experience emotions that way. I’m emotional and complex, and I think there’s something beautiful about letting sadness and euphoria exist in the same song.”
CS: “Only You” feels like the soundtrack to one of those late-night moments where you’re dancing through your feelings instead of running from them. What was happening in your life that made you want to write this song?
DS: “I was falling in love and, for the first time, reaching a place where I could let my guard down and sit in that happiness without skepticism or my inner saboteur taking over.”
CS: You’ve been making a name for yourself not only as a recording artist but also as a DJ. How do those two creative outlets feed each other, and has spending time behind the decks changed the way you approach writing and producing your own music?
DS: “DJing has really made me fall in love with dance music. I’ve always loved performing, but there’s something about dance music that brings people together in such a visceral way that’s hard to capture anywhere else.”
CS: This summer has been huge between releasing “Only You,” playing San Diego Pride, and performing alongside artists like Krewella, Marina, and G Flip. Has there been one surreal “I can’t believe this is my life” moment that’s really stayed with you?
DS: “There was a moment at San Diego Pride when I looked out and saw everyone dancing to my music and singing along. The crowd stretched from the front of the stage all the way up the hill, and at the same time, a giant plane flew over my head. I just remember thinking, ‘Wow, is this real?'”
CS: Club culture has always been about creating spaces where people can fully be themselves. What do you hope fans take away after seeing you perform?
DS: “I want fans to feel loved, included, and safe enough to be fearlessly themselves.”
CS: Can you tease what’s coming next for you for this back end of the year? What goals are you setting for yourself?
DS: “I have so many good songs in the vault. I can’t wait for people to hear them <3”
Since we’re Celeb Secrets: what’s one “secret” about you that your fans would be surprised to learn?
DS: “My guilty pleasure is reality TV. Like the really bad kind, the cringier the better.”
