Multidisciplinary artist Vivek Shraya has announced the release of her new album How to Fail as a Popstar, a soundtrack to accompany her forthcoming CBC Gem series of the same name. Both the series and the soundtrack will be released on October 13.
Unlike Shraya's debut album Baby, You're Projecting, which explored themes like love, breakups and relationships, How to Fail as a Popstar is a compilation of new songs ("Take Flight") and remixes of her older tracks ("Showing Up" feating Jully Black), as well as unreleased material. See the tracklist below.
In a statement, Shraya shares that "...this album is a sonic representation of my persistence and my undying love for music," despite her failed dream of becoming a pop star.
She explained:
When I started writing How to Fail as a Popstar in 2019, my original vision was for the play to be a musical with a complete ten-track soundtrack — but that would have made for a very long play! Now after creating the adapted series for CBC Gem, I am excited to finally realize this vision, by bringing together the various songs that have been central to the telling of this story.
One of the biggest lessons in my creative journey has been to constantly experiment and reinvent, because I have never been able to predict what might connect with a listener — and this approach is reflected here.
The theatrical iteration of How to Fail as a Popstar first reached audiences in 2021 as a one-woman play that chronicled Shraya's dreams, struggles and journey as an artist.
How to Fail as a Popstar:
1. Dry (Dream Version)
2. I'm a fag 4 u (Sped-up Version)
3. Take Flight
4. Showing Up (feat. Jully Black)
5. Music Ur the 1 (Youth Talent Quest Interlude)
6. I Won't Envy 2.0
7. SOS
8. Take Flight (Mississauga Children's Choir Version)
9. The List
Unlike Shraya's debut album Baby, You're Projecting, which explored themes like love, breakups and relationships, How to Fail as a Popstar is a compilation of new songs ("Take Flight") and remixes of her older tracks ("Showing Up" feating Jully Black), as well as unreleased material. See the tracklist below.
In a statement, Shraya shares that "...this album is a sonic representation of my persistence and my undying love for music," despite her failed dream of becoming a pop star.
She explained:
When I started writing How to Fail as a Popstar in 2019, my original vision was for the play to be a musical with a complete ten-track soundtrack — but that would have made for a very long play! Now after creating the adapted series for CBC Gem, I am excited to finally realize this vision, by bringing together the various songs that have been central to the telling of this story.
One of the biggest lessons in my creative journey has been to constantly experiment and reinvent, because I have never been able to predict what might connect with a listener — and this approach is reflected here.
The theatrical iteration of How to Fail as a Popstar first reached audiences in 2021 as a one-woman play that chronicled Shraya's dreams, struggles and journey as an artist.
How to Fail as a Popstar:
1. Dry (Dream Version)
2. I'm a fag 4 u (Sped-up Version)
3. Take Flight
4. Showing Up (feat. Jully Black)
5. Music Ur the 1 (Youth Talent Quest Interlude)
6. I Won't Envy 2.0
7. SOS
8. Take Flight (Mississauga Children's Choir Version)
9. The List
