Shamir Is ‘Running’ From Toxic Friendship in New Song

On “Running,” Shamir addresses mental health and gender dysphoria in the context of being part of an unhealthy friend dynamic. “‘Running’ is a song I wrote about a time in my life when I was a part of a toxic friend group where I was the only non-cis person,” he wrote in a statement. “The song is from the perspective of me now realizing how much it affected my mental health after being a few years removed and realizing how much I was dulling myself down so I did not stick out any more than I already did and also how that directly made me experience gender dysphoria for the first time ever.”

Like his previous singles, “Running” is a guitar-forward, hooky single. Faye Orlove (Mitski, Palehound) animated the purple-hued video, which sees an avatar of Shamir wearing butterfly wings and running past neon signs, representing his hometown of Las Vegas which he left for Philadelphia.

“Running” is the third preview of Shamir, which is the singer’s first pop album since his 2015 debut Ratchet. Previous releases include “I Wonder” and “On My Own,” which he called an “accidental quarantine anthem.”