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From Janet & Kylie to Britney & Miley to Olivia and Sabrina - pop history is littered with TV stars turned pop diva superstars. The latest name to add to that growing list is former Love Island UK contestant Samira. One of the breakout stars of series 4 of the hit show, the performer had already spent time treading the boards in Dreamgirls and Mamma Mia before the villa came calling.
Leaving the show after 40 days, Samira turned her back on the usual reality TV to influencer pipeline, instead deciding to concentrate on building a credible pop career for herself. Kicking things off with one of 2022's sleeper hits 'I Love Your Smile', a collab with dance collective WDC, the track quickly amassed over 12m streams, spending 16 days in Spotify's Daily UK Viral Chart and landing in the top 5 of the UK club charts, giving the burgeoning star her first taste of Radio 1 support.
Her self-penned debut solo EP 'Dancefloors & Drama Vol.1' was released in 2024, with contributions from Cutfather (Kylie, PCD), Kal Lavelle (Ed Sheeran), Tancrede Rouff (Odesza) and more. A critical hit, the EP picked up tastemaker support from the likes of Billboard, NME, MTV UK, Clash and Wonderland whilst multiple tracks from the EP took up space on Radio 1's airwaves.
After spending much of 2024 holed up in the studio, Samira kicks off '25 with 'Valentine's Day (I Ain't Got Time For That)' - written and recorded on Valentine's Day last year, the track tells the very real story of Samira's ghosting in the run up to the big day. The track paves the way for Samira's sophomore EP, set for release later this Summer.
