R&B newcomer Shantel May has released her debut album, Triggered, But Here, via MNRK Records.
The 17-track offering was preceded by the singles “Love It Here” featuring Lola Brooke, “5 Minutes” featuring Tone Stith, “The Hard Way” and “Too Often.”
On Triggered, But Here, the Toronto-born singer takes listeners on an arduous journey through love’s twists and turns. Songs like “Feind” and “Love It Here” capture the passionate side of love, full of promise and thrills. A good portion of the album explores love’s complexities. On “The Call,” May confronts an old lover who only gives her a ring when they’re drunk. “The Ex” is a reimagined version of Mya’s “Case of the Ex,” where May sings over a stripped-down piano.
On “Stay,” she finds herself torn between staying or leaving a relationship that no longer serves her, while “Feels Good” is a smirk at toxic tendencies. “I be knowin’ you with me strong / And that’s why I be starting s–t / Come over here and put me in my place,” she sings in the latter track.
“I’m so blessed to finally drop this album! Triggered, But Here is deeply personal—real experiences and stories I’m sharing with my audience, inspired by Mary J. Blige’s My Life with its mix of vulnerability, hip-hop, and sampling,” Shantel May tells Rated R&B.
Triggered, But Here arrives with an official music video for the Maliibu Miitch-assisted “Dangerous.” The visual was directed by Jonathan Bain.
Speaking on the track, May tells Rated R&B, “‘Dangerous’ poured out of me during a tough time, and having Maliibu Miitch on it made it even more special. And yes, the knife in the second verse is real—but I’ve grown from that girl!”
Triggered, But Here follows May’s debut EP, Don’t Let Them See You Cry, released in 2021. The mini project included a feature from rapper Westside Gunn.
Stream Shantel May’s new album Triggered, But Here below.
