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NASHVILLE – Livingston turns the desire to fit in into a question of identity on his new single, “Shapeshifter,” out now. The alt-pop singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist examines what happens when personal change becomes a pursuit of someone else’s approval. Building on the themes of this summer’s “Recognize,” the song follows a narrator moving between opposing roles—hero and villain, breaker and fixer—while confronting the exhaustion of trying to become whatever another person needs.
A chant-like refrain brings that struggle into focus, asking how much of yourself you are willing to surrender to feel seen. It is a subject that fits naturally within Livingston’s songwriting, where personal uncertainty becomes the foundation for songs designed to connect with listeners facing similar questions.
Livingston shares, “‘Shapeshifter’ continues the conversation begun with ‘Recognize. The downside of constant change is you can end up chasing your tail and losing yourself if you’re changing for others.”
The release continues a busy stretch for the Denton, Texas-born, Los Angeles-based artist. Earlier this month, he delivered “Radiostar,” a high-energy single drawing inspiration from 2000s pop, while “Recognize” has already accumulated millions of streams. This year’s run began with “Paper Crowns,” his first new music following the success of his debut album, A Hometown Odyssey, and its expanded edition, A Hometown Odyssey (The Story Continues). Together, the new singles offer an evolving picture of his next album, which has yet to be formally announced.
That next step follows a breakthrough rooted in an unusually personal creative setting. Livingston wrote and produced A Hometown Odyssey in his childhood bedroom, developing a sound that brings alternative, rock, pop, and electronic influences together. Released independently in 2024, the album has amassed more than 1 billion global streams and reached No. 2 on Spotify’s Album Debut U.K. Chart, alongside No. 3 placements on its U.S. and Global Album Debut charts. Its opening track, “Introduction,” featured Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons, adding a cinematic connection to a project from an artist whose imagination was shaped as much by movies as music.
Individual songs carried that bedroom-made project to audiences around the world. “Last Man Standing” appeared on Spotify’s Viral 50 charts in the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, and Australia. “Shadow” reached No. 1 on the iTunes Global Songs chart and entered the Top 20 on Spotify’s U.S. and Global Viral charts. The response extended to the stage, with headline tours across North America, Europe, and the U.K. helping Livingston sell more than 50,000 tickets in under a year. By the release of the album’s deluxe edition in 2025, his audience had grown to nearly 7 million followers across platforms.
Behind those milestones is a musician who first turned to creativity as a way through loneliness and bullying. Supported by his immediate family, Livingston found an escape in music and the imagined worlds of Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. Working with a MacBook, he began developing his abilities as a songwriter, vocalist, and producer. An early record deal brought experience with the major-label system before he chose to move forward independently with A Hometown Odyssey, taking greater control of his music and direction.
That history gives the central concern of “Shapeshifter” a meaningful place in his larger story. Livingston has built an audience through songs that offer connection to people who feel misunderstood, and his latest release considers the point at which adapting to others begins to erode your own identity. As his next album takes shape, “Shapeshifter” keeps the focus on a familiar but difficult challenge: growing into yourself without getting lost in someone else’s expectations.
Shapeshifter
She knows my name
For a second my fear slips away
Shake your daddy’s hand
Smile on my face
The great pretender is who I am today
Change myself to different versions
Anything to hear I’m worth it
You’re my queen, I’m your beast of burden
How do you like me now?
Do you want the hero or the bad guy?
I am both sides
Breaker and a fixer
Do you want the future or a past life
You can take mine
Tell me what you want from me and I will be your shapeshifter
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
(I will be your shapeshifter)
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
I know this game
Thanking God you’ll never know from where I came
Could be anyone, sinner or a saint
What does it matter if I’m holding up my faces, baby
Change myself to different versions
Anything to hear I’m worth it
You’re my queen, I’m your beast of burden
How do you like me now?
Do you want the hero or the bad guy?
I am both sides
Breaker and a fixer
Do you want the future or a past life
You can take mine
Tell me what you want from me and I will be your shapeshifter
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
(I will be your shapeshifter)
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
Watch all the people walk
People talk, making it look easy
I gotta do theatrics just so you can even see me
Watch all the people walk
People talk, making it look easy
I gotta do theatrics just so you can even see me
Or the bad guy?
I am both sides
Breaker and a fixer
Do you want the future or a past life
You can take mine
Tell me what you want from me and I will be your shapeshifter
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
(I will be your shapeshifter)
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
Shape-shifter
(I will be your shapeshifter)
