Latest news with #Shura
Evening Standard
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Shura - I Got Too Sad For My Friends: art pop where Eno meets Robyn
Shura has always taken her own path, self-taught whiz-kid who has grown into a talent who retains that rare thing these days: mystery. As such, I Got Too Sad For My Friends has a thrilling vulnerability, with her singing of depression and isolation, yet lifting herself, and her listeners, up with remarkable songwriting nous and one of the best voices out there.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Worrying is my hobby': Shura on overcoming injuries, writer's block and being dropped twice by her label
Recently Shura decided she wanted to fight. Already in what she calls her Muscle Mummy era – partly inspired by the Kristen Stewart-starring, queer bodybuilding thriller Love Lies Bleeding – this buff new mindset involved the singer, songwriter and producer learning jujitsu for the video for World's Worst Girlfriend, the soft-pop highlight of this month's excellently titled third album, I Got Too Sad for My Friends. Things didn't go to plan, however. In her fourth class, coming out of a roll, she felt her knee go pop. One MRI scan later, having feared a more serious ligament tear, she was diagnosed with a knee problem known as Hoffa's fat pad impingement. It means we're meeting in a cafe/record shop hybrid a few metres from the west London flat she shares with her girlfriend. She reminds me that last time we spoke, around the release of her 2016 major label debut, Nothing's Real, she couldn't move her neck. Being a pop artist, it seems, is bad for your health. 'I played football [for Manchester City from under 11 to under 16 level], I played loads of sports and I've never had a serious injury – until now,' she says. Things have been emotionally painful, too. I Got Too Sad for My Friends was born out of the upside down of the pandemic, then slowly created after a severe bout of writer's block, before being delayed by illness. But its title also encapsulates an aspect of Shura's personality. 'There's a little sense of humour to it but, at the same time, if you examine it, it may be slightly devastating,' the 36-year-old smiles. 'Devastating in a fun way.' The seeds of I Got Too Sad for My Friends's creation started with its predecessor, Forevher, an album exploring queer love over airy 70s grooves that Shura feels didn't get the shot it deserved. After its release in August 2019, its accompanying tour was cut short by Covid. At that time, Shura – real name Aleksandra Denton – was living in New York and too scared to leave the US in case she wasn't allowed back in. She started to 'pre-grieve' her parents back in London, specifically her mum, who is the subject of the new album's emotional centrepiece, Online. 'Worrying is my hobby,' Shura says, chewing some Nicorette gum (she's been trying to give up vaping, which she started when she was giving up cigarettes). 'I joke that if there's something to worry about I'll worry about it.' She searched hard for joy. When her musician friends started organising virtual concerts she figured she'd join in. She wanted to make it work, too, even rearranging the plants in her apartment for 'vibes … but there were no vibes'. In the end, she gave up: 'I was basically performing to a fucking fig tree.' Later, she'd find a better use of the internet as a streamer on gaming platform Twitch, lost in 'the horniest game I've ever played in my life', Baldur's Gate 3 ('You can pick your character's genitalia,' she says. 'There's three different penis options.') It wasn't just live music that was making her sad; suddenly all music was off the table. Performance was her job and every song was a reminder of what she was losing. Having previously been dropped by Polydor after Nothing's Real failed to meet its commercial expectations, she also started taking on the weight of an industry in turmoil. 'Also I just couldn't write,' she says. 'I had nothing to say. I would be talking to my partner going: 'Maybe that's all I will ever offer to the world.' I think if that had been it, it would have been really sad because it was like I had one and a half goes.' Shortly after releasing a deluxe version of Forevher in early 2021, and moving back to London, she was dropped again, this time by the indie label Secretly Canadian. Shura says she hadn't been surprised at being dropped by Polydor, who signed her at the peak of music-blog influence, after her tactile, SoundCloud-only 2014 debut single Touch went viral. Having taught herself production via YouTube tutorials while working as a video editor, she found the major label ecosystem alienating and intimidating, and she was clearly an odd fit. When she was being touted around various labels, she remembers one asking her what her 'thing' was. 'They said: 'Clean Bandit play classical instruments, so is your thing like: Hi, I'm in a beanie.'' She looks agog, pulling at her – you guessed it – beanie. In the end, after signing to Polydor, she decided her thing was being 'stressed out'. The second, most recent, label departure – this time from an indie – stung, however. 'I talk to my musician friends now and I'm like: 'Look, if you're dropped, come to me,'' she laughs. 'That's my expectation: someone gives me some money to make a record and then they're like: 'Oh that was a bad idea.'' She pauses. 'But it was actually quite painful. Like, 'By the way, I know it's a bit of a pandemic and you have no income but, you know, bye.'' Shura's ability to find solace in tricky times extends to the album's sonic palette. While lyrically the album is saturated with the pandemic's sense of uncanny – the single Richardson is about Shura taking laps round her small apartment 'to feel the air on my face', while other songs touch on loneliness, panic and dislocation – musically it feels like a warm hug. Recorded live with a small band, it leans into 60s Americana, all honeyed harmonies, rich organ and the gentle pitter-patter of drums. 'Writing-wise,' she says, 'I met myself where I was listening-wise.' It was the tactile songs of US singer-songwriter Cassandra Jenkins that helped Shura fall back in love with music. 'It was the perfect record for that time,' she says of Jenkins's intimate An Overview on Phenomenal Nature album. 'I could curl up into it and it just comforted me.' Jenkins adds backing vocals to Richardson, and even makes a cameo in our interview when one of her songs gently wafts out of the cafe's speakers. The perpetually fidgety Shura suddenly sits bolt upright. 'Fuck off! She's here. Cassandra, that's so nice of you to turn up. Hi.' Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Shura jokes that with each album she's slowly moving back a decade. 'So Nothing's Real is 80s, Forevher was slightly more 70s, and this is a bit more 60s,' she says. 'My next one will be Gregorian chanting, so I can keep my armour for that one as well.' Ah yes, the armour. The artwork for I Got Too Sad for My Friends finds Shura sitting on a rock in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), sporting armour over her everyday clothes and looking for a battle that never comes. It was semi-inspired by Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and how 'a lot of lesbians of a certain age' either fancy its star Leonardo DiCaprio or 'want to be him, or want to be a woman that looks like him'. The armour has a much bigger significance, too. '[During the pandemic] I found that I was doing stuff that I thought was protecting me from pain or sadness, that absolutely made things worse; by retreating, by reaching out to my friends less and isolating myself further. So here I am in armour, ready to fight, but what is my armour protecting?' As she starts to grow more animated, those gym-toned arms reveal a delicate sword tattoo in honour of the new record. She gets one for each album, she explains, which confuses me after I spot a drawing of a jolly, round character. 'Oh, that's just a happy potato,' she laughs. When I suggest she's just let slip the title of album four, she smiles, and allows herself to look to a future she thought was gone: 'It's that or Hoffa's fat pad impingement.' I Got Too Sad for My Friends is out now.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Arbaaz Khan and Sshura Khan spark pregnancy rumours again, share family photo with Salim and Salma Khan after lunch outing
Arbaaz Khan and his wife Shura Khan have sparked fresh pregnancy rumours following a recent public appearance in Mumbai. The couple, who got married in December 2023, were spotted exiting a restaurant over the weekend, prompting fans to speculate that they may be expecting their first child. Shura, dressed in a loose-fitting pink outfit, a style often chosen by celebrities during early pregnancy, was seen being carefully assisted by Arbaaz as they left the venue. In a video captured by the paparazzi, the Dabangg actor was heard telling her 'aaram se' as she got into their car. Social media users quickly picked up on the body language and attire, leaving comments like 'Chhoti Khan is on the way' and 'Definitely pregnant, Arbaaz bhai is being extra careful. ' This isn't the first time such rumours have surfaced. Just last month, the couple was seen together at a clinic, which also triggered similar speculation. Arbaaz shares family photo after outing Not long after their recent lunch outing, Arbaaz took to Instagram to share a family photograph featuring Shura alongside his father, veteran screenwriter Salim Khan, and mother Salma Khan. Though the post made no mention of the rumours, fans interpreted it as another sign that the couple might be preparing to welcome a new member to the family. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Undo Their journey so far Arbaaz Khan, 57, and Shura reportedly met on the sets of Patna Shuklla, a film produced by Arbaaz. Shura was working as actor Raveena Tandon's makeup artist at the time. The two dated privately for over a year before tying the knot in an intimate ceremony on December 24, 2023. Everything you wanted to know about Arbaaz Khan's wife Sshura Khan! Despite a 22-year age gap, the couple has spoken openly about their relationship. During an Instagram AMA (Ask Me Anything) last year, a user had asked Shura about their age and height difference. She responded, 'Arbaaz is 5'10, and I am 5'1, and age is just a number.' When asked about what she admires in Arbaaz, she said, 'He's very loving and respectful.' Before marrying Shura, Arbaaz was married to Malaika Arora for 19 years. The two parted ways in 2017 but continue to co-parent their son, Arhaan Khan, who is now 22. While there's no official confirmation yet, the couple's body language and fan buzz have certainly set the rumour mill in motion. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Zawya
20-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Saudi Arabia's rising debt and spending create fiscal pressure
Saudi Arabia's rising public debt and continued dependence on oil revenues are raising concerns among economists who urge the Kingdom to enforce tighter fiscal discipline to safeguard long-term sustainability. After accumulating more than $900 billion in overseas SWF assets, the largest Arab economy has stuck to borrowing to keep those assets intact so it will maintain its strong global credit rating while ensuring funds for mega projects, these experts believe. Over the past 10 years, the price of Saudi crude has averaged around $70 a barrel but the breakeven price needed to balance the Gulf Kingdom's budget has remained above $90 a barrel, which is almost impossible to achieve in the present situation. 'This year for example, the breakeven price is around $94.5, nearly $20 above the current price of Brent crude…this means that maintaining a fiscal balance requires oil prices at that high level or opting for strict fiscal discipline…there is a pressing need to purse structural reforms to lessen the risks of persistent budget deficits,' said Saeed Al-Shaikh, a former Shura (appointed parliament) member and ex-chief economist at the National Commercial Bank, now Saudi National Bank (SNB). Big challenge In an Arabic language article published in local newspapers this week, Al-Shaikh said the deficit poses a big challenge to Saudi Arabia's fiscal sustainability. He said the government has become heavily reliant on borrowing instead of withdrawal from its foreign assets to fund mega projects and other sectors. 'The government believes this will preserve its strong global rating…this underscores the need for increasing non-oil revenues and improving spending efficiency…although this strategy protects the Kingdom's foreign assets and investments, it will increase its debt servicing burden and this should prompt the government to continuously revise and manage the debt ceiling,' Al-Shaikh said. Saudi Arabia's public debt has nearly doubled over the past seven years to reach around 1.3 trillion Saudi riyals ($347 billion) at the end of March from SAR560 billion ($149 billion) at the end of 2018, the Finance Ministry said in a recent report. Debt surge The debt is forecast to surge in the next two years due to a projected budget deficit, boosting its ratio to GDP to one of its highest levels of around 33.5 percent at the end of 2026 from 17.6 percent at the end of 2018, the Saudi Jadwa advisory firm said last week, citing government data. Saudi Arabia is heavily dependent on oil revenues, which account for more than two thirds of its national income. Given its inability to stem current expenditures, including wages and military spending, which accounts for over 30 percent of the current expenditure, Riyadh has suffered from fiscal gaps in most years. The strong reliance on oil sales has played havoc with the country's fiscal system. When crude prices dived to as low as $42 a barrel in 2020, its budget deficit climbed to one of its highest levels of $78 billion. It turned into a surplus of about $27.7 billion in 2022, when oil prices rocketed above its breakeven price to nearly $104 a barrel. During the first quarter of 2025, the Kingdom's shortfall leaped fourfold due to lower oil export earnings. It stood at around SAR59 billion ($16 billion) in the quarter ended March 2025 against $3.3 billion a year before. Total revenues fell 10 percent to SAR264 billion ($70 billion) while spending swelled by around five percent to SAR322 billion ($86 billion), the Finance Ministry said. Strong rating 'Saudi Arabia possesses a strong credit rating given its massive assets and can move within a comfortable fiscal space that enables it to borrow from the international market at some of the most competitive rates,' said Ihsan Buhlaiga, a former Shura member. He said two thirds of Saudi Arabia's public debt is domestic and that is projected to rise as the Kingdom expects the deficit to stay until 2027. The debt has remained below 30 percent of GDP in the past years but it is expected to break that ceiling to reach 32.3 percent at the end of 2026 and around 33.3 percent at the end of 2027, Buhlaiga said. 'Saudi Arabia needs to continue its efforts to achieve fiscal sustainability by developing a stable income and increasing revenues from its investments…for now, I believe the Kingdom's public debt is still relatively low considering the fact that the average debt-to-GDP ratio in the OECD is nearly 120 percent,' he said. In March, S&P Global Ratings upgraded Saudi Arabia's rating to 'A+' from 'A' with a stable outlook, citing socioeconomic and capital market reforms. Strong non-oil growth and rising oil volumes from 2025 will support medium-term growth prospects, the agency said. Saudi Arabia's National Debt Management Centre welcomed the decision, saying it would allow Riyadh to issue global bonds and sukuk at a more favourable rate. (Reporting by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
Bahrain News Gazette
02-05-2025
- Business
- Bahrain News Gazette
Bahrain's Active Engagement in Regional and International Events Highlighted
Manama: Bahraini daily newspapers today focused on events that happened over the past 24 hours, reflecting the kingdom's active engagement in regional and international forums. According to Bahrain News Agency, HM King issued Decree (28) of 2025, while also being congratulated by the Labour Minister on International Labour Day. Under the patronage of HM King, Bahrain marked International Labour Day, underscoring the nation's commitment to labor rights and recognition. HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad awarded winners of the Khalid bin Hamad Secondary Schools Handball Championship, emphasizing the importance of sports and youth development. Furthermore, HH Shaikh Khalid issued an edict to form an Executive Committee for the 3rd Asian Youth Games, signaling Bahrain's dedication to hosting significant sporting events. Bahrain's diplomatic engagements were also highlighted, with the Bahrain Ambassador in Ankara attending the Bandokan Economic Forum opening and the Bahrain Ambassador in Moscow meeting the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister. These interactions underline Bahrain's efforts to strengthen international relations and economic cooperation. Additionally, the Industry Minister led the Bahrain delegation to GCC trade and industry committee meetings in Kuwait, while the Justice Ministry urged pilgrims to obtain official permits, showcasing Bahrain's proactive approach to international trade and religious affairs. The ongoing tree planting campaign on Al Mahzoura Street was noted as part of Bahrain's environmental initiatives. Furthermore, the Foreign Minister received the UN Special Representative for Iraq, and the Auditor General met the Education Minister, highlighting Bahrain's multi-faceted approach to governance and international diplomacy. In other diplomatic activities, the Municipalities Minister received the Italian Ambassador, and the Transportation Minister welcomed the Cyprus Foreign Minister. Bahrain also deposited its instrument of acceptance of the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable practices. Meetings in Italy saw the Finance Minister engaging with the Italian Minister of Economy and Finance, as well as other economic officials in Rome, illustrating Bahrain's focus on strengthening economic ties with Italy. The CBB Governor also met with the Senior Deputy Governor of Banca d'Italia. Additional engagements included the Shura Council's participation in the South-South Parliamentary Dialogue Forum in Rabat, with the Shura Second Deputy Chairperson expressing gratitude to the Moroccan Monarch. The Shura Sec Gen also participated in the South-South parliamentary secretariat meeting, and the Shura Chairman met the Arab Parliament President, reflecting Bahrain's active role in parliamentary diplomacy. Finally, the NPRA Undersecretary received a UK Home Office official, and the Assistant Undersecretary for Sustainable Development joined a UN fireside chat on accelerating development through data, showcasing Bahrain's commitment to sustainable development and international cooperation.
