In the world of modern music, there are very few artists who evoke the spirit of transformation and authenticity as strongly as 070 Shake. Born Danielle Balbuena in North Bergen, New Jersey, United States, Shake evinces a deep connection to her hometown by adopting the New Jersey area code 070 in her stage name. Her journey, from writing in the margins of notebooks to selling out world-class venues, is a testament to her unique ability to unite self-reflection and artistic expression.
Emerging as a master of combining electronica, thoughtful hip-hop, and experimental sounds, not only has she challenged the limitations of genre, but through her unique process Shake has forged an artistic identity that is as profoundly intimate as it is musically innovative. Her work is often marked by raw vulnerability and poetic lyricism, serving as both a familiar mirror and an educational roadmap that resonates with her many listeners.
From the start, Shake has been driven by a strong desire to articulate the complexities of her human experience. Her musical style embodies this ambition to explore oneself, drawing inspiration from the never-ending search for personal growth. This can be seen in her body of work, which is a continuous exploration of sound and personal identity, each project serving as a chapter in an ever unfolding attempt to understand life and oneself.
Her latest album, Petrichor (2024), epitomises this ongoing evolution. Named after the earthy scent that follows a long-awaited rain, the album is a celebration of renewal and rebirth. Shake ventures into unfamiliar territory, combining lush orchestral arrangements with innovative production techniques. Not only does this reflect both the beauty and the suffering which arise from transformation, but it provides an unobstructed view into Shake’s creative process.
Yet, beneath these intricate layers lies a profound honesty. In an industry that is often dominated by polished facades, 070 Shake’s willingness to expose her innermost struggles and triumphs is not only impressive, but deeply relatable on a human level.
Offstage, Shake’s personality echoes the complexity of her music.
Her sentiments on love, loss, and the importance of learning and growing as a human reveal an artist who is unafraid to live authentically in a world that often praises conformity. Whether discussing the influence of her personal experiences on her evolving sound or her simple love of basketball, Shake exudes a refreshing energy that is unapologetically authentic. This rare convergence of raw talent, fearless experimentation, heartfelt introspection, and emotional relatability has not only brought her a devoted following, but has become definitive evidence that true art often lies in the pursuit of personal growth. In this discussion, 070 Shake sits down with art curator and friend Saam Niami to discuss themes of love, personal growth, creative progression, and all the life that happens in between.
I think I’ve definitely gone more into myself. I think it’s been more of an inward expansion kind of thing. I’m still in that detached mindset where, even if the world isn’t there with me, I think I have a good sense of what I need to do and it’s not going to be affected by what I receive from anything [external].
I think it’s just the cycle of life and growth, you know? I think that, when you’re on the right path, you’re always going to go inward at some point. And I think it’s just something that’s necessary for every human’s evolution.
I think that is the growth, you know? Just going inward to begin with is the growth. So yeah, I think I’ve just been learning a new way of being within myself and just appreciating and being grateful for who I am and what I have to offer this life and stuff like that.
I think everything goes hand in hand. Everything that I express is a reflection of me, so it always goes hand in hand. I live in a way where I do what I want to do, and what God wants me to do, rather than what the world is asking of me. So, I think [there are some things] I can only find through embracing that life is so much bigger than just making music. And I mean, [that’s] the beauty of it and I’m so grateful for [that]. But you have to kind of turn down the voice of the world so that you can hear your own thoughts and your own self, you know?
Maybe watching basketball or something.
Yeah, really? I think doing stuff like that, like watching basketball and being a friend and a partner and someone’s kid and someone’s sibling, all those kinds of things make me feel like I am in fact here, you know?
Well, that’s hard because LeBron has always been my favourite player, but now there are all the new kids coming in. So, I’m just excited about the future of basketball, because it’s just fun to watch all the competitiveness. But yesterday, I actually watched the OKC [Thunder] and Celtics game.
But yeah, I really like the Celtics, to be honest. I really fuck with Jason Tatum, I think he’s really dope.
You’re a Warriors fan, you said?
Well, the Warriors are having a fucking awakening right now.
Right? I think bringing that Jimmy Butler energy is really putting you guys in the conversation.
Yeah, we could talk about that forever.
Love and partnership. I think that’s the ultimate force, that’s the nucleus. I’m trying to do my part and breed some of that love through transforming pain into love and seeing how that process could really be healing. And even if it doesn’t directly affect somebody, just putting that energy out into the world I think could possibly ignite something.
Well, I think success is very subjective, right? Success, to me, is finding love and being in love and feeling love. But success could also be as simple as doing what you say you’re going to do. I mean, if I wake up today and say, ‘I’m going to go for a fucking run (or something),’ and then I do it, then I succeeded. There are these little moments throughout the day where you’re succeeding just by doing what you say you’re going to do. Then there’s the broader idea of success. I do believe that money helps, of course, but for me success involves more of a sentiment. It’s more of an emotional thing to me, because if I don’t feel good at the end of the day, then I feel like I’m not succeeding in life. I just want to feel good, and usually the way that I get there [is] by feeling loved and all that kind of stuff.
I think that’s just kind of my nature. Most of the time I am calm unless I’m competing in something, then I get a little bit frustrated. But I think it’s just my nature. I think a lot of the advice I give to the people in my life is that it’s fine, it’s okay, and don’t stress about it. And I try to tell myself the same thing because I can’t always be that way. Things stress me out as well, but most of the time I am that voice. With the people I work with, in my love life, with my family, I’m always that voice of like, ‘It’s fine’ and ‘It’s okay.’
My brain. That’s something that is very important to me. I want to acquire as much knowledge as I can. I feel so empty when I’m not learning things. I just want to keep learning. So, throughout the years, I’ve [kept on learning] in every aspect. If I can’t do anything else, I can always learn something.
It’s hard when you’re not thinking about it, you know? I think it’s more of a thing I have to sit down and observe. I don’t really have an answer to that right now.
My sense of time is all over the place—yesterday, tomorrow, a year ago, 10 years ago—it all feels like a big mush. It feels like different places, more than different times. I think as you get older, and stuff like that, time becomes more of a real thing. But still, I’m having trouble with the timeline of everything. I always feel
like I was just dropped off in this place. My life more so feels like different places than different times, you know?
Well, I like to sleep in the nighttime. I used to not sleep a lot when I was younger, I used to have trouble sleeping, but now I think that when I’m feeling better in life I have an easier time sleeping. Now, I like to sleep throughout the whole night and I think that’s become important to me.
I mean, the whole process is recovering. When I am creating, that’s me recovering from some sort of karmic cycle that my soul has been through. I feel that this whole lifetime is me recovering from something.
How many cycles what?
Oh, dude. I can’t even tell you. I would be lying. I don’t even know if it’s true. I don’t even know if I have been through cycles, it’s just what it feels like. It feels like I’m at the tail end of it and maybe soon I will be able to evolve into something else, but maybe I have to come back here once or twice.
I still feel like I haven’t been completely free, and I want to know what that feels like to be completely free. I still feel there’s a layer of vulnerability that I haven’t quite reached, and I want to go there.
It would take having people around me that will support me through that, and I can’t do that if the people around me aren’t free as well. We’re all one machine. So, when we’re in the room creating, everybody needs to be free.
Thank you so much. Thank you for your lovely questions. I appreciate it.
