Creator Spotlight: Meet SHYY, The Australian-Born Producer with Trending Instagram Sounds

Every successful creator has a moment when passion meets opportunity. For SHYY, that moment came a couple years ago when he decided to drop everything and go all-in on music. Since then, he’s earned a string of achievements, including multiple tracks of his becoming top trending sounds on Instagram. 

Here’s an in-depth Q&A with the Australian-born, Persian producer about his beginnings, successes, and future plans. 

Taking a Leap of Faith

Describe the moment you decided to pursue making music full-time.

The various challenges and triumphs I've encountered throughout life have definitely influenced my decision to pursue the path I’m currently on. In short, I’ve always known from a young age that I had a bigger purpose and I never wanted to live ordinarily. I could never see myself working for anyone else or living the 9-5 life. I’ve always been passionate about music and business so it just made sense for me to do my own thing. Dealing with some trials and tribulations in my life at the time also really lit a fire in me to take the leap.

I recall three years ago working and studying full-time while posting beats online. I remember selling my first beat to an artist for $500 USD, which at the time was a lot of money for me. I called my brother straight after and told him that I’m going to quit everything and go full-time with music. In hindsight, I guess I was a little bit crazy, but dropping everything and putting myself in that danger zone where I couldn’t rely on a backup was the best thing that I ever did. It pushed me to work everyday like my life depended on it, which is a trait that I still possess. Every accomplishment makes me hungrier.

Many up and coming producers dream of making music their career but struggle because they don’t have a clear blueprint. What advice would you give to someone looking to take a similar path?

My biggest piece of advice to up-and-coming producers would be to build your own lane and stay true to yourself. So many producers are copying sounds, branding, and styles, which can get you some traction but you will never out-do the trendsetter. I’m not against getting inspiration – you need that. But if you're going to take inspiration from something or someone, add your own unique flare to it and make it your own thing. A big part of my growth came from building my own brand, developing my own sound and setting trends that aligned with who I am.

My last piece of advice is to never let the wins and losses get to your head. This game is like a rollercoaster that’s constantly changing. The more level-headed you are in victory and defeat, the easier the journey becomes. I’ve had my fair share of both and I still wake up every morning with the same obsession and drive.

The Blueprint Behind SHYY's Recent Success

You've achieved an impressive milestone, moving from two trending songs to eight, with one reaching the No.1 spot on Instagram. How has reaching this level impacted your brand?

It's been dope showcasing a different part of the SHYY brand. I don’t just produce music for artists, I also make music that everyone can enjoy, listen to, and create content to.

Was this success driven by organic growth, or was there a specific strategy or campaign that played a major role in getting these songs to trend?

Everything has been organic. I’ve never spent a cent on any promotion or marketing for my beats which makes things even crazier. I think having my music on YouTube definitely established the foundation where vloggers and influencers were using my beats in their reels and TikToks.

Your beat "Beautiful" has become extremely popular, too, with over one million creations across TikTok and Instagram. Why do you think it’s resonating so strongly with listeners across platforms?

This goes back to one of my first points, the importance of building your own sound. I think people resonated with the beat because it's something unique and fresh. Drill historically was known for being a gritty dark sound. Years ago I started taking the same drill bounce and mixed in R&B melodies which pushed the R&B / melodic drill sound we have today.

‍Beyond "Beautiful," you have other tracks trending, like "Palm Angels," "Love You," and "My Heart." Could you share the backstory for each of these beats, from creation to uploading them on BeatStars?

“Love You” was actually created in my bedroom, funny enough. It's crazy to see how much that beat has grown, I believe it's my biggest beat on YouTube with almost 2 million views. It was also the first beat that ever trended for me on Instagram and TikTok. I’m super grateful for the love and support on that one.

“Palm Angels” was created in Spain. I was living in London at the time for music and took a trip to Barcelona to work with a few Spanish producers. We got a dope villa close to the beach, the vibes were good and I was inspired to create something tropical and wavy.

“My Heart” was made in London with my good friend and close collaborator Yoshi in late 2022. I remember leaving a session with London artist Kairo Keyz and Yoshi at the time, and we were inspired to create a drill record with a bouncy R&B melody. He cooked up a crazy guitar melody with vocals. I laid down the drums and the rest was history. It’s been a blessing collaborating with a loop maker like Yoshi. He’s definitely inspired me to make better melodies myself, and push the loop game. 

With the surge in virality, how has your sales performance been affected? Have you noticed a specific uptick for these trending beats, or is it boosting your entire catalog?

I have seen a boost. Specifically, it’s helped increase engagement on my socials, particularly Instagram, bringing in more followers and traffic, which I’m grateful for.

How did the placement with Little Simz come about?

She reached out wanting to work and showed her interest in my beats. She mentioned to me she liked the beautiful beat. I can’t obviously say for certain but I’m guessing she would’ve heard it from social media with how well the beat was doing and its viral presence. The turn around was quick. I sent her the beat and within a day or two she sent me the demo back. A week later we dropped the song.

It’s been crazy to see the progress. Within a few days the song hit 1 million streams on Spotify and is continuing to grow rapidly. It’s also been mad to see artists I grew up listening to like Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Giggs commenting, sharing and showing love to the song.

It’s also been dope connecting & working with an artist like Little Simz. I look forward to building more with her. 

‍Building His PersonalBrand

What inspired you to take the direction of using mystery as part of your brand? 

I’m a big believer of being authentic to yourself. I’ve never enjoyed talking to the camera, neither am I someone who is overly animated to gain attention, I’m just being me. I believe this will align with the next step in my journey as an artist. As long as I stay true to who I am and have faith in the process, everything will unfold the way it needs to.

‍A lot of producers want to cultivate a mysterious brand but feel it might limit their reach since fans often want to see the person behind the music. How have you managed to strike a balance and still grow your fanbase?

I think creating content where I put myself out there enough to a point where listeners can engage with my brand and my music but still want more. Apart from this, I just post what I want, how I want, with the music I want to make and I leave the rest up to the listeners and viewers.

Vision for the Future

‍With everything you’ve achieved so far, how do you now define success for yourself? What's next on your horizon?

I’ve come to a point in my life where it isn’t about the clout, numbers or money. The goal for me is to leave a legacy, push boundaries & make timeless music that connects with others. That’s what drives me. The DM’s I get everyday of strangers listening to my music around the world & telling me that it's helped them get through certain adversities, inspired them or simply brought joy to their lives means more to me than anything else. 

In saying that, success to me is doing things that give you purpose. If you're able to do the things you love and enjoy, you’ve already won.

I definitely want to continue taking things to the next level as a producer, but also plan to evolve my brand and take off as an artist. Many in the industry know that I sing and that I’ve incorporated that into my beats. I definitely want to grow this lane and push the artistry.