When you turn on Shantel May’s music, the first thing that strikes you is her voice. Her voice is flawless, powerful yet angelic. Shantel hails from Scarborough, which is on the east end of Toronto, but you would never guess that just from listening. Her music is different than the usual sound coming from Toronto; it’s not moody, eerie or dark, something Shantel was very intentional about. She has pockets like that, but on this album, Triggered, But Here, she wanted to go in a different direction than the one that created so many Toronto artists. Rolling out sat with Scarborough’s princess to hear why she’s triggered, but here.
Why did you name the album Triggered, But Here?
I named it Triggered, But Here because I am one of those people that are consistently triggered. I feel like everything bothers me. But I’m also one of those people that, like, if I love you, whether it be like a boyfriend or a family member or whoever, I will really try. So I’ll be triggered, but I’ll be here for you. So, yeah, that’s kind of where it came from. I’m a rider, unfortunately.
How did you link up with Lola Brooke and get her on “Love It Here”?
I have to give props to my A&R JY. As soon as I heard the record, I was like, this is dope. My second thought was are we going to be able to use this sample because it is so iconic. So what happened for this record, we were thinking about a lot of different female artists. We knew we wanted a female on it, but we didn’t know which one. Nothing was really sticking or felt right for me. And then one day, JY sent me a video of Lola in the studio recording the song, and I was amped. And then after it was recorded and it was finalized, that she was going to be on it. We were able to get in the studio together and really just vibe out with each other. She’s the sweetest, she’s the coolest. She got a big energy.
What’s your favorite song on the album?
For me, it changes, but right now it’s “Dangerous.” And it’s probably because I kind of just get to talk my [stuff] on it. I get to tell people the side of me that I don’t like to reveal. And I feel like a lot of women right now are relating to that side of me. The toxic, crazy side. A lot of women are reaching out and they’re like, girl! So right now, for me, that’s the one.
What’s the fascination with women being toxic nowadays?
To be honest, I don’t think anybody wants to be toxic. I think people go through situations and instead of feeling like a punk, you do other things. I know for me, I’m not a very girly type of person. I don’t really like to show emotion too much. So if I am going to show emotion, it’s going to be me turning up. But I don’t feel like everybody wants to be toxic. I think that’s just what we want to show sometimes. Deep down, I’m a lover girl. I love real hard.
How did touring with DVSN grow you as a person?
Yeah, they impacted my artistry growth a lot. I spent a lot of time with DVSN, both 85 and Daniel, they have contributed a lot to my career. I grew a lot as an artist when I was a background singer for DVSN. There’s a lot of things that I learned as a background singer, too, that I would love to incorporate into what I got going on now. And even in the future when I have my own background singers, like, there’s a lot that I would pass on.
Best thing about making music?
I think just expressing myself. I’m super introverted, and I don’t like to show a lot of emotion. I don’t like to speak a lot. Even doing interviews is a little hard for me sometimes. So when I’m able to put out music, I feel like people are getting a piece of me that I wouldn’t normally give, which is very difficult for me, but not something that I want to keep to myself anymore. So that’s probably my favorite part.
