Em Beihold is fully embracing her struggles (and her whimsy) with her latest album, Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter.
After breaking through in early 2022 with “Numb Little Bug,” Em Beihold felt a huge sense of emotional whiplash. Life-changing success also came with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, doubt, and and as though her creativity was slipping away. As an artist who has always been open about her mental health, Em shared with her fans in the following years that she had taken some time off to attend therapy and rekindle her relationship with her craft.
Burnout is real, but there’s always an opportunity to bounce back – and Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter is proof of that. With this album, Em creates a vibrant, playful-sounding universe for listeners to immerse themselves in — filled with songs centered around themes of comparison, co-dependency, ambition, fatigue, and ultimately re-claiming one’s power. As described by Em in a press release, the album is “a story about coming back to myself in the form of pop.”
In a recent press conference, Em Beihold shared a few stories of the making of Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter. Here’s a few facts about the album that you’ll want to know as you listen!
The First Taste
While on tour in 2025, Em Beihold gave audiences a first listen of “Brutus” and “Hot Goblin,” which ended up being among the first singles from Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter. She felt like these songs, especially “Brutus,” served as a great introduction to the era and where she wanted listeners to meet her.
“‘Brutus’ was the first song I wrote coming out of the writer’s block,” Em said. “It’s one that proved to me I was still able to write, and so for that reason, I did want to honor that as the first one that people heard.”
Meanwhile, “Scared of the Dark” had been brewing in Em’s brain since she was a teen.
“‘Scared of the Dark’ is one that I wrote the chorus of when I was 13,” she said. “It’s been stuck in my head since then. So I was like, if it’s been stuck in my head since 13, maybe there’s something to share with people as a single because it has some catchy legs, I must say.”
“Hot Goblin” was also a clear choice for Em to highlight as a single, due to it being especially fun in nature.
Humor Helps Her Cope
When writing about difficult topics, Em’s approach often involves humor and wit. This comes naturally for Em!
“I think I just sit down at the piano, and what comes out comes out,” she said. “Once I’m at the piano, any sort of filter is gone. I think normally when I’m dealing with something difficult, I do try to process things with levity and humor because it makes me feel better. But there’s one song on my album called ‘Don’t Let Go,’ which is probably a more gentle approach regarding my grandma’s dementia.”
Satisfaction
Em believes that Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter is a prime example of the music she’s always wanted to make.
“I think it’s taken a while to get there,” she confessed. “I also feel like, when ‘Numb Little Bug’ was happening, I was so new to being an artist, really, in the industry and everything, and there was a lot of attention at once before I even knew who I was. It’s been nice to take that time away and figure that out for myself. I do feel like I’m coming back very intentionally with exactly who and is with this album”
“Numb Little Bug” reached the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, received generous airplay on pop radio stations across America, and even earned platinum status. Many artists feel pressure to replicate the success of their latest hit, especially early on in their careers.
Em said, “That was a bit confusing, because I never considered myself to be a pop artist, but then I’m on the radio next to Doja Cat and Tate McRae. My favorite artist is Regina Spector. I’ve always considered myself in a bit of a different category.”
When meeting with various producers and songwriters, many of them tried steering her further into a traditional pop sound. Truthfully, this wasn’t exactly the path Em wanted to pursue.
She confessed, “I think a lot of these people were so lovely, but when you have so many different voices in your ear, it’s hard to hear yourself.”
Many boundaries needed to be set, such as turning down sessions and spending time alone to focus on writing by herself. When the time did come to enter a session with other songwriters and producers, she made sure that she had the final say on everything. After all, this is her project!
Em is here for you!
As previously mentioned, this album is about the emotional whiplash and depression that followed a period of transformation in Em’s life. Em takes pride in being able to be vulnerable with her listeners and let them know they’re not alone!
“The album is very much about my journey with depression,” she says. “Taking a step back, doing outpatient, and reaching a low I didn’t realize was possible, especially after the success of ‘Numb Little Bug.'”
She also went on to say, “We love to take lemons and turn them into lemonade. I think I’ve always been someone who just says exactly what’s on my mind, and I don’t feel embarrassed at all by mental health and saying how I feel. If I can make people feel less alone, I feel like that’s my purpose on Earth.”