(January 15, 2026) Shae Universe is among the artists that fans of the British soul scene mention when making a case for the R&B made on the other side of the Atlantic. Anyone who watched her Tiny Desk performance will understand why Brits want Shae Universe, a Nigerian born UK based singer and songwriter, to be a face of the British soul music scene. Shae said she wanted to make a statement UK R&B artists, independent artists and the darker skinned Black female artists. Her Tiny Desk concert was a triumph where people heard her intimate, soulful and sultry voice on a set of well-crafted and lyrically strong songs. The image of this beautiful woman who combined stage presence with graciousness must also be mentioned.
Shae performed songs from her 2024 project, Love’s Letter for the Tiny Desk concert. Now, as 2025 gives way for 2026, Shae is preparing to bless music fans with a new song. “Journey To The Sun” drops on Jan.16, and she’s decided to give SoulTrackers a preview. “Journey” is an intensely personal song about relationship. However, in this case, Shae explores the battles with the kind of fear and insecurity that people wage internally even as the face they show to the public exudes confidence.
“Journey To The Sun” is a track that fans of that beloved musical genre known as neo-soul will love. The song fuses flights of jazzy creativity on sax and guitar with a funk infused bass and hip-hop inspired percussion. The struggle to overcome the traumas and frustrations of life in the moment come through strongly in Shae’s vocal and the spoken word interlude from Ariel J.
Shae says in an artist’s statement that vulnerability is a frequent theme in her music, “but somehow this feels like one of my most vulnerable songs yet. Sometimes I look around at the world just continuing on whilst I feel all these intense feelings and wonder if it’s only me that feels them. Deep down I know it’s not and I believe this song perfectly captures the alienating yet shared human experience of what can feel like suffering in silence. Special thanks to Ariel J. too for embellishing this track in the most special, uplifting way. My wish is that this song encourages people to approach 2026 and beyond with a hopeful heart, trusting that everything is always okay eventually.”
Check out the World Premiere of “Journey To The Sun” here.
By Howard Dukes
