Sombr has pulled back from public appearances quite a bit lately, contending with anxiety attacks as his fame climbs.
In a conversation with ELLE magazine, the artist known for Back to Friends — whose real name is Shane Boose — opened up about how tangled his relationship with being a celebrity has become.
“I love it a lot, but fame is a mind-bending rollercoaster — last night I performed before 10,000 people and today I wake up in my bedroom in LA,” he explained. “I don’t really go out in public anymore, because encounters with fans trigger anxiety. I get so worried that I didn’t deliver a strong show or come across the right way for them.”
He also revealed that he has recently fallen into a deep depressive phase.
Despite these obstacles, the singer-songwriter stressed that he feels prepared for life under the glare of the spotlight.
“Just being completely honest, I’ve seen darker moments than I’ve ever seen. I’ve had some of my bleakest thoughts about my life, and lately I can’t picture a future—only the past and present feel real,” the 21-year-old continued. “It’s part of what I signed up for. I’m never going to be the type of artist who complains about that, because if I wanted to disappear from the spotlight, I would. I’m just feeling down, man.”
Sombr released his debut studio album, I Barely Know Her, in 2025.
Since then, the artist has earned praise from Taylor Swift on multiple occasions, with the music superstar even dubbing him the “future” of the industry.
“Just waking up to hear she name-dropped me on the radio, I was like, ‘Huh, is this AI?'” he recalled with a smile about the first time he heard the Opalite hitmaker laud his work.
