OOC: Uhh, surprise? Great to see so many familiar faces around - new ones too! I'll get round to checking out & commenting on everyone's threads soon. ❤



Vanity returns in a surprise comeback to unveil the lead single to her upcoming thirteenth studio album, the title of which is yet to be revealed.

After the release of her last studio album Dominant over 5 years ago now, the pop veteran suddenly disappeared from the spotlight and opted for a life of radio silence, no social media updates and no high-profile public appearances. Fans had even speculated whether the singer had died due to the non-existent communication with her fans through social media channels, and practically no public sightings of the singer had been made. Conspiracy theories swirled online about the singer's disappearance, some claiming she had undergone surgery to change her looks and emigrated to the Carribean, others going as far as to claim she had been kidnapped by the illuminati. It seems the conspiracies surprisingly ended up being false.

In an official statement, Vanity speaks about her return to the music industry and what prompted her to disappear for all those years.

"I'd just like to start by saying to my fans, I love you. I have never forgotten about you and I've thought about you every day since. The sweet messages, the gifts from tour, the memories, those have kept me strong in my darkest hours. This new music that I've been working on will take you on a journey through some of the roughest times of my life. But it's not just about me, we're all going through it in 2020, times are tough and life may feel harder than ever right now. We've lost icons like my sister Stephanie Fierce, we're uncertain when this pandemic will come to an end and the climate is giving our younger generation more anxiety by the day, but it was so important for me to make sure that we can dance through this misery together."

And true to her word, new single "Shock to the System" is an upbeat dance-pop track that details more than just the struggles of love, but becoming vulnerable and intimate with a lover after being a victim of sexual abuse. The lyrical content sees Vanity fighting through her anxieties and personal demons to bare her soul to the deserving person, and while the track's lyrics definitely have a tragic darkness to them, they also show us a softer, more vulnerable side to the pop icon as we see her in perhaps her most exposed state yet.

While it's unclear what Vanity has been keeping busy with since her last studio album, what's certain is the singer's vocal ability hasn't waned at all. Her vocals soar over the synth-heavy pulsating beat and she arguably sounds better than ever. The raw approach to the vocal production contrasts with the use of vocoder in the bridge and the song's computerised beat. Throughout, we can really hear the fragility and power in her voice; the sound of her trademark strong, bold vocal tone sending us right back to the years when she dominated the airwaves.

"Shock to the System" is just the beginning of a whole new era for Vanity. Stay tuned!

"Shock to the System"

Sounds like:


If I told you I'd been stolen
Would you view me as broken?
Don't wanna talk too much
Yet I wanna reveal it all
(It's a shock to the system)
Irresistible, yet so much fear
Shackled by the weights of the past
So close and yet so near
If only you could see through this looking glass
(It's a shock to the system)

Shock me hard 'til I forget the pain
(Electricity overflow)
Just want your love running through my veins
(Don't let the power run low)

Heartbeat-beat-beat won't beat quietly
Anxiety's rattling the cage, but I
Try not to let the demons tie me down, cause I
Just wanna be open for you, tonight
I try not to play the victim
You're like a shock to the system
Didn't think I'd open the gates to my prison
But you're like a shock to the system

So kiss me like it's gonna last, no, no, don't go too fast
Suffocate these undying flashbacks
It's nothing but a glitch in the system
So don't flip the switch, I'm ready
(It's a shock to the system)
Want your shades of reds over my darkest blues
I just wanna be healed for you
Can't see my pain, but my scars are true
You just gotta see things from my point of view
(It's a shock to the system)

Shock me hard 'til I forget his name
Then I'll comeback on the radio
Can't lay here tainted in his shame
I think there's something you should know
Time and patience, love and guidance
Means more than the fame and diamonds
Shock me hard 'til I feel the same
I'll be the idol that you wanted

Heartbeat-beat-beat won't beat quietly
Anxiety's rattling the cage, but I
Try not to let the demons tie me down, cause I
Just wanna be open for you, tonight
I try not to play the victim
You're like a shock to the system
Didn't think I'd open the gates to my prison
But you're like a shock to the system

Shock me to the heart, shock me to the core
Shock me to the soul, harder than before
Until it's just you and me
Electric intimacy
Until it's just you and me
Electric intimacy

Heartbeat-beat-beat won't beat quietly
Anxiety's rattling the cage, but I
Try not to let the demons tie me down, cause I
Just wanna be open for you, tonight
I try not to play the victim
You're like a shock to the system
Didn't think I'd open the gates to my prison
But you're like a shock to the system
I try not to play the victim
You're like a shock to the system
Didn't think I'd open the gates to my prison
But you're like a shock to the system