I wanted to tell you about my friend Ali Shah and his E.P. “The Talking Stage”. Ali and I were just online friends who randomly connected since the both of us were artists. He invited me to The Cameron House for his E.P. release show. Being a fan of his singles, I could not miss it. I instantly fell in love with the tracks and his performance. Immaculate Energy.

Ali Shah is a Toronto-based pop artist, who grew up traveling between Pakistan and Canada. He tells me his first language was Urdu and to learn English, he started watching Disney Channel shows when he finally settled in Canada. Inspired by Disney Popstars like Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and Demi Lovato at an early age, Ali took up songwriting at 15.

His EP “The Talking Stage” opens with “Maybe Maybe”, a track where the warmth of Rhodes and engaging vocal chops set the stage, leading into hard hitting 808s and thumpy kicks. This track talks about a night filled with the uncertainties of new love, with the hook “Maybe, Maybe” that was an earworm for the first few days after the show.

Track 2, “Every Crowd” has a vintage disco aura, with its pulsating chorus rhythm that doesn’t fail to get your head bobbing and feet tapping. Shah’s ambition for the EP shines through, as he skillfully blends elements of traditional pop, inspired by Taylor Swift, Troye Sivan, and Olivia Rodrigo, into a blend of 80s synth-pop and contemporary electro-pop.

His lyrical genius, particularly evident in “Jinx It,” echoes the emotional depth and storytelling reminding me of Taylor Swift’s recent album, “Midnights.” He captures the complexities of a delicate relationship well.

 “I have many inspirations lyrically, primarily including the likes of Taylor Swift, whose songs have moved me ever since I’ve heard her for the first time. The way she puts pen to paper is elegant, eloquent and concise. I wanted to emulate this exact effect within my pop songwriting, which I think I accomplished.​​” says Ali, and I couldn’t agree more. “Jinx It,” the third track on Ali Shah’s EP, has a style similar to Taylor Swift’s album “Midnights” in both its words and music. The song shares deep feelings about a delicate relationship, much like the kind of stories Taylor Swift tells in her songs. The sound of the track is smooth and modern, matching the kind of music in “Midnights.”

says Ali

“Spoiler Alert,” with its catchy chorus and engaging pop production, explores the theme of wanting a more serious relationship with someone you’re seeing.

The EP concludes with “Happy for You, I Guess,” an acoustic guitar ballad that maintains the EP’s uniform sound. The track is a letter to an ex, filled with some angst, that you can feel in his voice.

“I wanted this to be a traditional pop record and something that takes my favorite elements of pop music and puts them all into one project. I had many other inspirations besides Taylor Swift, including Troye Sivan, Conan Gray, Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde, and many others. “

Ali

Ali told me, he initially just wrote demos and kept them to himself till he teamed up with Liam Benayon in mid-2022. Benayon saw the potential in the demos and also brought in his skills as a great pop producer. Their joint efforts, and sessions at Dream House Studios in Toronto, brought life into the tracks, aligning closely with Ali’s artistic vision and resulting in a cohesive and impactful production.

To sum up,  “The Talking Stage” not only resonates with a Gen Z audience dealing with love and heartbreaks but also finds him his place as a unique voice in the world of modern pop.

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Editor’s Note: You can find Ali Shah on Instagram, Tik Tok, X and YouTube and you can stream his music on all major streaming platforms.

Dev Modi is a Radio and Media Production student at Humber College, and also a musician. You can find him on Instagram and Spotify.