"To think that that could help me get signed or become a big artist because my dad devotes his life to fight AIDS is just incredibly insane," sombr tells ELLE.
sombr has heard the term “nepo baby” attached to his name during his rapid rise to stardom, and he doesn’t quite understand why.
In a new cover story with ELLE published Tuesday (Sept. 22), the 21-year-old singer/songwriter, born Shane Boose, addressed the online speculation and the possibility that his family connections helped launch his music career.
“Every time I see an artist blow up, I’m like, ‘OK, this artist is great. I love them so much. They’re so talented.’ Three months later, somehow they’re a nepo baby,” sombr told the magazine.
sombr’s father, Andy Boose, used to be a musician before becoming an events producer who works with HIV/AIDS organizations, while his mother, Bennah Serfaty, works in HIV/AIDS prevention. Sombr said he finds it “incredibly insane” to think that his parents’ work helped him land a record deal or become a successful artist. “I will forever respect my dad and my mom. I’m so f—ing proud of them, because to devote your life to something like that is so incredible and important.
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“To think that that could help me get signed or become a big artist because my dad devotes his life to fight AIDS is just incredibly insane,” he said.
The comments naturally arose as sombr’s career spiked. Before his breakthrough, though, he was a student at New York’s Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where he trained in Italian and German opera. He eventually dropped out after his music began taking priority over school.
His 2022 song “Caroline” caught attention on TikTok and led to interest from record labels. sombr ended up signing with Warner Records, saying the label was the “hungriest” for him. But the early momentum didn’t translate into hit records right away. After “Caroline,” he released several songs that failed to gain a lot of traction, and he says he worried that he could be dropped from his label.
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That changed with “Back to Friends,” which sombr wrote at his piano around the Christmas season in 2024 and released it at the end of that year. The song initially seemed like a low-stakes release during such a quiet period for music, but it ultimately became the breakthrough that transformed his career.
“Back to Friends” debuted at No. 90 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 2025, marking his first appearance on the chart. It eventually climbed to No. 7, giving Sombr his first Hot 100 top 10. The song also became his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart. The momentum didn’t stop there, as his debut album I Barely Know Her debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 in August 2025. Another Hot 100 hit was born from the project with “12 to 12.”
