Pop
Sombr reveals the invaluable advice Taylor Swift gave him
Sombr says Taylor Swift told him to treat hate comments as a sign he’s hitting his peak and to “rise above it".
Sombr has shared the advice Taylor Swift gave him about dealing with hateful comments.
The 21-year-old star - whose real name is Shane Boose - has struggled so severely with people's judgement since he went viral on TikTok that he avoids going outside when he's not performing.
He told ELLE: “I love it so much, but it’s a mindf*** to have the highs and lows - the fact that I was onstage in front of 10,000 people last night and then I woke up in my bedroom in LA ... I don’t really go out in public anymore, because I have anxiety attacks with people coming up to me. I just get so scared that I didn’t perform well or act well for them.”
However, a tip from the Fate of Ophelia singer taught him to "rise above it".
He divulged: “One of the best pieces of advice the legend has given me..."
Asked if the words of wisdom were from Swift, he went on: “The person I look up to most has given me. The amazing pop star. Is that if these hate comments go away, maybe you’re not at your peak anymore. I think it’s a privilege to be receiving these and rise above it. Ever since she gave me that advice, it’s really changed my perspective and has helped.”
Sombr also spoke about the backlash he faced last year after a clip from one of his early performances circulated online and sparked accusations of inappropriate behaviour. The video prompted a flood of negative comments, and the singer initially responded on TikTok, telling viewers he had “never uttered a serious word in his life” as he tried to explain the situation.
Looking back, he says he wouldn’t handle it the same way now.
He said: “I wouldn’t respond now.
“I think responding only makes it worse. I was a teenager when I was kind of just pushed into the spotlight. All of a sudden, this is one of my first instances of being hated on a larger scale. I thought I needed to defend myself.”
The Back to Friends singer says the experience made him reconsider how he interacts with fans at shows.
He continued: “I want people of all ages, sexualities, and races, everyone at my show.
“I’m an awkward kid. I don’t know what to do in weird moments. That video kind of woke me up. I was like, ‘Wait, yeah, that is weird.’ If you still choose to look at me in a type of way because of that, so be it, but just know that that doesn’t represent me as a human. I plan to never say or do something that would even make someone uncomfortable again.”
