ShyBoy on Creating Music for a Variety of Media
ShyBoy
In this profile series, Revry is highlighting authentic contributors to the LGBTQ media and entertainment community. We ask questions to find out who they are and where they are going in the future. The questions remain the same but the answers tell their unique story. It’s time to explore and celebrate true representation beyond the limits of Hollywood.
ShyBoy is a vocalist, songwriter, DJ, and producer whose music has garnered over 50M streams to date. His songs have been placed in numerous films, games, and TV shows, including RuPaul’s Drag Race, Dynasty, America’s Next Top Model, Devil May Cry 4, Halloween, and more. An array of artists have collaborated with ShyBoy, including the Emmy Award-winning RuPaul; hip-hop artist Slimkid3 (The Pharcyde); EDM DJ Darude; Grammy-nominated songwriter Wendy Waldman; Saturn Award-winning writer/producer Bryan Fuller (Hannibal); and Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winning songwriter Allee Willis. ShyBoy is the lead singer of the critically acclaimed band Hypnogaja, created the legendary dance party MaDonna Summer, and DJs events internationally, including a residency with the long-running Bootie Mashup and a recent appearance at the opening party for the West Side Story revival on Broadway. Revry’s 2020 QueerX film festival chose ShyBoy’s “Backroom” as an official music video selection. Celebrating the evolution of LGBTQ+ leather subculture and evoking dimly lit dance floors of a different kind, “Backroom” (directed by Michael Bodie), was described by World of Wonder as “a gritty masterpiece.” The Hollywood Music In Media Awards officially nominated the “Backroom” single for a 2021 award in the Alternative music category.
What are you best known for?
I’ve been very fortunate to work on music that’s been featured in a variety of media. Some of my favorite collaborations include the singles I made with RuPaul for RuPaul’s Drag Race; performing the end title for the Capcom video game Devil May Cry 4 (which I co-wrote with composer Tetsuya Shibata); and working on music with legendary songwriters such as Wendy Waldman (who co-wrote the Vanessa Williams classic “Save The Best For Last”) and the late Allee Willis (who co-wrote the iconic “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire). On the DJ side, I’ve made several mashup concept albums, including The RuPaul Mixtape (Vol. I & 2) and the diva tributes MaDonna Summer and Britney Houston (both of which have turned into really fun dance parties).
What is the first video you worked on?
“Bird in Flight,” from my debut album Water on Mars. I’d done videos prior, with my band Hypnogaja, but “Bird in Flight” was the first one I made as a solo artist. It kicked off an on-going collaboration with a great team, including director Michael Bodie, producer Loretta Ramos, and stylist Derek Lee (who put me in a cool spacesuit!). We’ve done several videos together, and we have a blast every time.
What are you working on that no one knows about yet?
There are a number of projects I’m currently working on that are really exciting. I can’t talk about some of them just yet, but I can say that I am working with producers Jeff Hoeppner and Mark Nubar on my next new solo album as well as an album with my band Hypnogaja (our first record in a very long time). I also just put the finishing touches on a forthcoming remix of the Wang Chung synth pop classic “To Live and Die in L.A .” I’m really looking forward to sharing the new music and getting back to live performances again.