SHAB marks World Refugee Day with new single on the way

Global pop artist SHAB is reflecting on her escape from Iran as a teenager ahead of World Refugee Day, linking her refugee experience to the success that followed in music. Her new single “Perfume” arrives June 26 as she continues a chart run that has put her on Billboard’s pop radar. Why it matters: - SHAB’s story ties World Refugee Day to a high-profile example of rebuilding after displacement. - Her rise from refugee teenager to Billboard-charting artist shows how forced migration can reshape, but not end, a career. - The World Refugee Day theme, “Until Everyone Is Safe,” lands as global displacement remains massive, even after a year-over-year decline. What happened: - SHAB is reflecting on fleeing Iran as a teenager with one suitcase and starting over alone in New York. - She arrived speaking only Farsi and German and had no one waiting for her. - Her new single, “Perfume,” is set for release on June 26. - The release comes ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20. The details: - SHAB escaped radical fundamentalism in Iran and rebuilt her life through school, work and music. - She learned English while working multiple jobs through secondary school and university. - She briefly attended law school before leaving to pursue music full time. - Her debut album, “Infinite Love,” and sophomore double album, “One Suitcase,” draw directly from her personal story. - SHAB has become a vocal advocate for women’s rights in Iran and has spoken against what she has called the “gangster regime” in Tehran. - “Perfume” features a driving beat and fast, shimmering Persian string work that has become a distinctive part of her sound. - The song leans into confident, sensuous lyrics, including: “I wanna shine like a new Ferrari; I get you high on my perfume.” - SHAB’s recent collaboration with Preston Harris, “It’s On You,” reached No. 15 on the Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart. - “It’s On You” became her fourth Billboard Top 40 charting single. - The track followed a Top 40 Rhythmic and Pop breakout with Fat Joe on “VooDoo.” - “VooDoo” was the most Shazamed song on Apple Music in the weeks after release. - SHAB also posted consecutive Billboard Dance chart entries with “Lipstick” and “Skin & Bones.” - World Refugee Day 2026 is marked under the theme “Until Everyone Is Safe.” - The day falls on the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. - UNHCR’s most recent Global Trends report said 41.6 million people were refugees worldwide at the end of 2025. - The same report put the wider forcibly displaced population at well over 100 million, or about one in every 70 people on Earth. - The refugee total fell year-on-year for the first time in a decade, driven largely by returns to Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan. Between the lines: - SHAB’s music and public advocacy are tightly linked to her refugee experience. - Her rollout frames “Perfume” as both a personal statement and a continuation of a breakout commercial run. - The World Refugee Day backdrop gives her story broader relevance beyond pop music. What’s next: - “Perfume” arrives June 26. - SHAB is likely to keep building on the momentum from her recent Billboard entries and festival appearances. - Her World Refugee Day message places her next release inside a larger conversation about displacement and resilience. The bottom line: - SHAB’s new single lands as both a career milestone and a reminder that refugee stories can end in reinvention, not just survival.