Samanta Liza

02/14/2025

I’m Sam Shi, a full-time UX researcher at Google and a full-time artist—because why choose just one path when you can carve your own? My mission is to infuse the rebellious spirit of rock & roll with the hypnotic pulse of underground beats—blending raw emotion with deep, driving rhythms that make you move and feel.

I sing, write, play multiple instruments, and produce all my music—a journey I started at 13, teaching myself through YouTube videos and relentless curiosity. Over the years, I’ve honed my sound into something that lives between alternative, electronic, and cinematic storytelling.

If you love deep, immersive sounds, underground energy, and music that doesn’t fit neatly into a box—you’re in the right place. Thanks for being here. Let’s connect, vibe, and dance. 💫🔥

02/01/2025

I’m tired and confused
Of looking for the truth
What is the truth, anyway?

01/27/2025

Is anyone here a DJ?

01/22/2025

Last year I left burning man early, having only slept a few hours…I booked a flight from Reno to LAX, went home to switch bags and nap for a couple hours, then back to LAX to fly across the country. Once I landed, I rented a car in Boston and drove down to the coast of Rhode Island. While I unfortunately missed the rehearsal dinner, I freaking made it for the wedding day, and I was so honored to be her bridesmaid. I am so happy I made it to your very special day, albeit extremely sleep deprived and with maybe 2 brain cells left. Love you, Nat 🤎

01/13/2025

Hi all,

Facebook rejected my name change from Samanta Liza to SAM SHI without any explanation. I'm getting frustrated with meta products.

This year, I am going to be much more active on my YouTube channel. Please head on over and subscribe to keep up with my latest releases, music creations, community, and travel.

Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/-music

Love,
Sam Xo

Swedish-Chinese American singer/songwriter, composer, and producer Samanta Liza is a self-taught musical medium. Her music is a fusion of dance, 90s electron...

01/12/2025

As I soaked up the last bit of the sun
Blissful in the moment
Unaware of what was yet to come
I surrendered

Today, as I go about normal life
Lucky enough to be unscathed by the fires
Feeling sad for those who lost everything
Concerned of what’s yet to come

I surrender

I take in what is
I accept what will come
And I reflect on what’s been

And in this moment
I say to myself
Try to be free

01/08/2025

I had a chat with about my recent rebrand and overall artistic journey. Making music and becoming an artist has been such a nourishing experience for me. I can’t wait to experience what’s yet to come!

Q: The production of Uninvited is incredibly diverse, ranging from electronic and alternative indie to classical elements. How do you approach blending such different genres while ensuring that the album feels cohesive?

Great question! I think my vocals help with the cohesion…Yes, the production is diverse, but the voice aka the narrator, is the same. I also made it a point to re-use some of the same instruments throughout. For example, you’ll hear the same plucky synth in uninvited, Something New, and Freedom Crime. The pad in the intro of Sweet Release is the same pad that you hear in Freedom, Crime, and so on. Obviously, a guitar is a guitar. So that connects Two To Tango, NPC, A Mistake or Two, Feel Like Me, and Thank You (Outro). So, I’m using many of the same ingredients, but there are changes in keys, rhythmic patterns, melodic expression, and vocal ex*****on.

I personally feel really strongly about not boxing ourselves in as artists. It feels great to explore the depths of our creativity, and packaging your work into an album shouldn’t punish your range. But I understand that cohesion is important, and that’s why I would reuse components throughout each record throughout the album. For example, once I shaped the sound of the synthesizer in the way that I liked it, I’d keep it more or less that way and then write a new chord progression or melody with it while reusing that sound as an instrument in my band. It is also worth noting that the album can kind of be broken out into several EPs, which sound incredibly cohesive, so stitching them together was really how the album came to be as one whole.

Read more about my story thru link in bio 🤎

01/04/2025

SURRENDERING, a poem 🤎

01/01/2025

Happy New Year 🧡 Who else has a good feeling about 2025?

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Photography by
Hair & makeup by

11/18/2024

Throwback to this beautiful memory from burning man this year 🤍🤍🤍

11/17/2024

Can’t leave a photo booth without at least one duck face 😩😪

11/13/2024

Happy birthday ❣️

11/09/2024

Had a blast returning to NYC and performing at the Postal Tales of Forgotten Souls Halloween party 🖤🥀 My set is now up on SoundCloud, enjoy! 💋

📸

11/07/2024

Caught up with NYU Shanghai, who recently published my Alum Voices profile!

I was supposed to have graduated in 2017, but instead I took 2.5 years off to work in NYC. Even though I felt a bit sad and left out, as I stayed put in the city while my friends returned to Shanghai for their senior year, I have 0 regrets. It was this sabbatical that kickstarted my career.

After working tirelessly for 3 years, I was quite happy to take a sabbatical from work to return to Shanghai during the Spring of 2019 to complete my degree. Once I graduated, I returned to the city and started my 5-year tenure at Equinox.

Now, I’m a few months into my position at Google, and sharing this Alum post has me all up in my feels. If someone would’ve tried to explain my career trajectory to me 11 years ago, I would’ve had a hard time believing them. Feeling grateful!

10/28/2024

It’s spooky season 🖤🫦

10/25/2024

uninvited (Bonus Edition) is out now!!! 🥹🤍✨ The Boy Next Door is yours 🚪