Listen to new single from Shrewsbury's 'angry, sparkly pop girl' Samira, who tells how Shropshire has been 'safe place' on her trans journey

Samira Hills, from Belle Vue in Shrewsbury, recently headlined her hometown Pride festival and has followed it up with her new single, Nice Catch.

She describes the synth-pop track as “as a bold anthem for the death of true romance and the aching desire for something real”.

"There's plenty of fish, but if you’re fishing out the same bucket, you’re gonna catch the same one."

"I was starting to feel quite sad about the fact that true romance is dead. I feel like there's so much pressure to look as hot as you possibly can and to get your social dating profiles to look as pristine as they possibly can.

"Then there's the whole thing with ghosting, and not replying too soon, and it's just exhausting. So I wanted to write a song about the death of true romance and yearning for something real."

Nice Catch is 24-year-old Samira’s fourth single this year, and has been generating more interest in her music on TikTok and growing her Spotify streams. 

She was recently a featured artist on BBC Radio Shropshire and Trans Radio UK, and has headlined Oswestry and Nantwich Pride festivals, as well as Shrewsbury’s.

"The crowds are always so warm, welcoming and supportive there," she said. 

Samira, who studied for a degree in music in London for three years, is trans and her music explores life “from an LGBTQ perspective”.

“I’m often covering quite deep subjects, like rejection, transphobia and those kinds of things. I often encourage my friends to dance through the pain.

“My intention is to empower the people that resonate with my music and realise they are not alone.”

Asked about how living in Shropshire has affected her journey as a trans female, she said: "It has felt like a really safe place to discover myself.

“I’ve always performed my whole life,” she said. “I started musical theatre when I was four until I was about 11 or 12. Then I decided I wanted to write songs about my own life.

"It's my dream to be a touring artist and sing for people. It always has been. 

"I'm very inspired by 80s music," she added, saying artists who inspire her include Madonna, Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX. 

"It's always been that iconic, pop diva that has inspired me."

“I’m going to be continuing to release music. Next year is going to be busy.”

She describes herself as a "sparkly but angry pop girl", merging soulful lyrics with euphonious melodies to denote “a kaleidoscope of empowerment, freedom and love”. 

To listen to more of Samira's music, search for her on all major streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple or visit her YouTube channel.