The rising Israeli star’s latest is cathartic burst of emotion put to music. Shay Wize is a singer who can hold his own with the finest vocalists in the world, and a writer who is unafraid of tackling difficult emotions. On the second single from his upcoming album ‘Fairytales,’ he dives deep into romantic heartbreak, desperately searching for meaning in life’s most painful moments.
Setting the tone with a mournful minor key guitar, Shay lays his feelings bare in the songs opening verse, singing of laying in bed “trying to decide to live or die.” The pain in his voice is palpable, yet he never fully gives in to self pity. Instead, he is somehow inspirational as he fearlessly faces his demons. Accompanied by an accomplished cast of players including violinist Joni Fuller and famed Israeli musicians Yahel Doron and Eldad Zitrin, Shay attempts to free himself from society’s narrative of fairytale love.
Instead he follows the path of iconoclasts from Richard Ashcroft to Johnny Cash in seeking a more realistic understanding of love, rebelling against the false god that we are forced to praise from birth. It’s been a big year for Shay since being named to MTC News’ Artists To Watch 2020 – He’s seen youtube views for his previous single ‘Travel’ top 60k while being featured in prominent playlists around the world. His uncanny ability to tap into listener’s deepest emotions is clearly resonating with fans, and ‘I Don’t Believe In Love’ is the clearest example yet of this connection.
Shay Wize is a singer, songwriter, and composer. Music has been his passion for as long as he can remember – Shay used to stay up late into the night listening to folk, rock and soul music on the radio. This was the time of night you’d hear artists such as Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, and many more. It was these night-time music sessions that would inspire much of Shay’s career.
Shay grew up in Tel Aviv, and by the time he was 14, he had learned how to compose original music on Cubase. The next year he began studying at Ramat Gan Conservatory, where he learned piano for several years. Alongside composition, Shay polished his writing by producing stories and song lyrics, with one of his pieces winning a short story writing competition. Shay moved to a small town in the south of Israel at the age of 18, where he began writing his first album, Fairytales. After pouring his life into the songs, Shay needed to find the right music to match.
Wize collaborated with artists around the world to create his first music, including the phenomenon pianist Eldad Zitrin, the musician Yahel Doron from the famous duo Guy & Yahel, the violinist Joni Fuller who has worked with musicians such as Phil Collins. The powerful lyrics, collaborative work with these artists and Shay’s production have come together in the artist’s debut project. In December 2019, Shay Wize was named in MTC’s New Artists to Watch in 2020.