SOMBRSOMBR
Hailing from New York’s Lower East Side, Sombr (Shane Boose) has swiftly risen into one of the most visible voices in the new wave of alt-pop – an artist who feels at once like a mirror of his generation and a subtle contradiction to it. Classically trained, he began recording music in his bedroom and first entered broader awareness with the track Caroline. His debut album, I Barely Know Her, surged to the top of Spotify’s Global Albums Chart and produced three Billboard Hot 100 hits. Among them, back to friends became a global phenomenon, surpassing 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Around Sombr, a tightly focused yet often divided culture has formed. His music triggers immediate reactions, and even fleeting moments online can escalate into emotional surges, memes or debates about what Sombr “represents”. Some hear raw honesty and a generational voice; others interpret the intensity around him as a reflection of the pressures and contradictions of modern pop. Sombr doesn’t step away from this complexity – it’s central to his story and to his appeal.
His shift from niche online favourite to wider cultural presence became clear when he appeared on two of America’s most influential TV platforms: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live. At the same time, his work began receiving major recognition on big stages: back to friends won Best Alternative Video at the MTV Video Music Awards, and sombr earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
On stage, Sombr moves between quiet fragility and explosive peaks. One moment, the atmosphere is delicate, almost fractured; the next, the audience gathers into a unified shout that seems to pull the entire room into the same pulse. His live presence doesn’t feel constructed – it’s instinctive, immediate and deeply contagious. Now based in Los Angeles, he is touring sold-out arenas across the globe and bringing his tour to Europe in 2026.