Sombr doesn’t go out in public much anymore because he suffers from “anxiety attacks” amid his rise to fame.
In an interview with ELLE magazine, the Back to Friends star – real name Shane Boose – reflected on his complex relationship with being a celebrity.
“I love it so much but it’s a mindf**k 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,” he said. “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.”
In addition, Sombr revealed that he had recently fallen into a “deep depression”.
Despite the struggles, the singer-songwriter insisted he is prepared for life in the spotlight.
“Just being completely honest, I’ve seen darker points than I’ve ever seen. I’ve definitely had some of my darkest thoughts about my life, and I’ve hit a point lately where I can’t see a future. I can only see the past and present,” the 21-year-old continued. “It’s what I signed up for. I’m never going to be an artist who complains about that, because if I wanted to disappear from the spotlight, I would. I’m just sombre, man.”
Sombr released his debut studio album, I Barely Know Her, in 2025.
Since then, the artist has received praise from Taylor Swift on multiple occasions, with the music superstar even labelling him as the “future” of the industry.
“Just waking up to hearing she name-dropped me on the radio, I was like, ‘Huh, is this AI?'” he jokingly recalled of the first time he heard the Opalite hitmaker laud his work.
