Why Sombr Says ‘There’s Nothing That Can Prepare You’ For the Success He’s Having Right Now

It’s hard enough for most artists to find one breakout hit, let alone two surging up the Billboard charts in tandem. But for 19-year-old alt-rock artist born Shane Boose, he’s struck gold in recent months: The piano-forward “Back to Friends” became his first Billboard Hot 100 entry on April 12; and just a week later, he added a second thanks to the pop-leaning “Undressed.” The former single arrived in the final days of 2024 before ultimately accruing its following this spring, while the latter came out as the buzz started to take hold.

“‘Back to Friends’ was just starting to see some success [when I created ‘Undressed’], which I think made me a bit more confident with the music I was making,” says Sombr.

And as the hits continue to grow — with “Back to Friends” spending a third week at No. 1 on Alternative Airplay and “Undressed” climbing back up to No. 29 on the Hot 100 — so have Sombr’s stages. Following a few festival dates this summer, he’ll begin a North American leg of The Late Nights & Young Romance Tour across the country, including several dates with venue upgrades that have since sold out. He’ll then round out the year performing in Australia and New Zealand.

“I love meeting new people in new countries every day and I’m glad that these songs have given me the ability to do so,” he says. “Road life is a life I want to live for a very long time.”

Below, the singer-songwriter reflects on making “Undressed,” how his hits have impacted the stakes when releasing new music, potential Grammy buzz and more.

How was “Undressed” created?

I made “Undressed” late one night when I was feeling not so good, as I feel when I create my favorite songs. I started by producing some drums and laying those down on the track, and then I recorded that guitar bassline that you hear in that intro and throughout the song. From there, I recorded that guitar riff in the intro and post-chorus. (Sings.)

It’s not every day that I listen back to a melody that I’ve made and really feel what I felt. From there, the first verse, the chorus and the second verse came very easily — it was all done that same night. The next day I produced out the rest a little bit more; I wrote the bridge in about five minutes and recorded that. I had about 75% of a production — all the vocals are recorded, all the guitars are recorded, the drums are recorded.

I leaked the song online, and it was the greatest initial response I’ve ever had from a leak. The song wasn’t even finished yet, so we had to scramble. I brought it into Sound City [Studios] in Van Nuys, [Calif.] to my amazing collaborator Tony Berg. We did finishing touches there, added some atmospheric stuff, made the drums hit harder, made the transitions flow — a lot of synths in the bridge. When we listened back, I knew we had something special.

Your two biggest hits are exploding simultaneously, with “Back To Friends” spending a third week at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart this week. As someone who has been releasing music for several years already, how did you prepare for this kind of moment?

There’s nothing that can prepare you for something like this. It’s absolutely unreal. As a kid, growing up with alternative music, raised by alternative music, it feels like a dream to be No. 1 at alternative radio and have these songs transferring into pop. Honestly, it’s all so new to me, I don’t really know how to navigate it and I’m still figuring it out — but one thing I do know is that I’m so honored. [I’m] taking it day by day, and all I want to do is take this platform that I’ve been given and make more — as much as I can until I drop dead.

You’re touring throughout 2025, including dates with venue upgrades. What have been your biggest takeaways from life on the road?

It’s the most fun life experience an artist can go through. If you’re an artist, I highly urge you to try to tour at one point in your career. I’m so grateful to be playing shows, whether it’s a venue upgrade or the smallest room in a city. It’s what I love to do. But the road also has down sides: It can be lonely in a different hotel room in a different bed every night. You can disassociate, but then that hour that you’re onstage always feels like the best hour you’ve had in your life yet — until you do it again the next night.

What’s the wildest thing that has happened at a show so far?

Me chipping my tooth not once but twice at two separate shows — and one of them was the day after I got my tooth fixed, which is just crazy. I hope to have many more of those in the coming years because that means I’m doing a lot of touring, and that’s what I love to do.

What do conversations surrounding new music sound like right now?

There’s always a part of having “hits” that puts pressure on you, but I try to block that out. Every time I’m feeling it, I remember why I got into it and why I made those songs. I didn’t make them to have hits; I made them because I was feeling something and I needed an escape. I needed to pour my thoughts and feelings out, and when I put them out, I received so many messages and people telling me after shows that the music has been therapeutic for them, which is exactly what it was for me.

I don’t think the music I’ve made will impact the album, really. I think the music I’ve made has definitely given me the confidence to do what I want and make what I feel is true to myself because that’s what those songs were. I can’t say much, but there’s definitely an album on the horizon.

Though it’s only June, it’s never too early to start speculating about Grammy buzz for 2026. Have you given any thought to your name being in the best new artist conversation?

It’s a big compliment to even be asked that or a part of that conversation, but I haven’t really put much thought into it, to be honest. If I were to receive a nomination, it would be a great honor. But I’m just making music and taking it day by day.

A version of this story appears in the June 21, 2025, issue of Billboard.