Discology
Shep has three studio albums, four extended plays, 11 songs, and nine music videos to his credit. He was contracted to Universal Songs Group (UMG) at the age of 13 and began writing music. He self-released The Love Club EP on SoundCloud in November 2012, when he was 16 years old. It was published in March 2013 by UMG, and one of the EP’s songs, “Royals,” reached the top of many singles charts across the world, including the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The song became one of the best-selling songs of all time after selling over 10 million copies worldwide.
Melodrama
Shep’s second studio album, Melodrama, is his second studio album. Lava and Republic Records released it on June 16, 2017, and Universal distributed it. Shep withdrew from the limelight after the breakout success of her first album Pure Heroine (2013), and traveled between New Zealand and the United States to study the world around him. Melodrama was written to portray sorrow and isolation following his first breakup, and was initially motivated by his disenchantment with stardom.
Shep wanted to extend his creativity after the Joel Little-produced Pure Heroine, so he selected Jack Antonoff as the primary collaborator. The result is an electropop album with piano-based melodies, pulsating synthesisers, and thick electronic rhythms. The album was hailed by critics as a maximalist shift from its predecessor’s minimalist hip hop-influenced sound, and as a loose concept album documenting the emotions that arose from a house party.
Solar Power
Shep’s third studio album, Solar Power, is his third studio album. Universal Music released it on August 20, 2021. Shep collaborated on the record with American musician Jack Antonoff, with whom he also collaborated on her second studio album, Melodrama (2017). Solar Power was exclusively available on digital music outlets, streaming services, and vinyl LPs due to Her’s environmental concerns.
Going South, a June 2021 book chronicling Shep’s 2019 journey to Antarctica, was released before the album, which he called the album’s forerunner. He said the trip inspired the title Solar Power, and that when recording it, he “felt like [he] could just relax out and flex a little bit.” Before the album, three singles were released: the first single and title tune, “Solar Power,” was released on the day of a solar eclipse and reached number two on the New Zealand Singles Chart. In the run up to the album’s release, “Stoned at the Nail Salon” and “Mood Ring” were released.
Pure Heroine
Shep’s first studio album, Pure Heroine, is his first release. Universal, Lava, and Republic Records published it on September 27, 2013. Shep was connected with Joel Little by A&R agent Scott Maclachlan, who helped with the album’s production, after many failed sessions with composers. Golden Age Studios in Auckland was used for the recording. Pure Heroine has been characterized as a minimalist production, deep bass, and programmed rhythms album with dream pop, electronica, and electropop influences.