SHANTAIA signs with Walk Off Entertainment and announces new album ‘One Trick Pony’ due Oct16

With powerhouse vocals and a sound shaped by country, soul and R&B, Nashville-based artist Shantaia has officially joined the artist management roster at Walk Off Entertainment and announces her forthcoming eight-track album, One Trick Pony, arriving October 16. The announcement formalizes a partnership that has already been in motion for more than a year and arrives alongside Shantaia’s new single, “Risk You Run,” released July 31. Together, the signing, single and album bring into focus the creative direction Shantaia and her team have spent the past year developing.

Working closely with Artist Manager Kyra Tillotson and the Walk Off Entertainment team, Shantaia has found a partnership that supports her larger vision for the music while giving her room to explore the full range of influences behind it.

“I’m so excited to officially announce this partnership,” says Shantaia. “I’ve been working with the team for over a year, building toward this moment. It’s been extremely refreshing to work with people who see and hear my vision and aren’t afraid to jump and take a risk with me. That’s rare to find these days!”

“It’s incredibly rewarding to work with an artist who has such a clear vision and unwavering sense of who she is,” says Tillotson. “Shantaia has found a lane that’s entirely her own, blending soulful influences with country in a way that feels fresh but completely authentic. We’re so excited to officially welcome her to the Walk Off Entertainment family and can’t wait to share everything we’ve been building together.”

At the centre of that work is One Trick Pony, an eight-track concept album structured as a deliberate reveal. Its first four songs: “Faster Horses,” “Rose Colored Glasses,” “Why On Earth” along with the title track, establish the country and country-soul sides of Shantaia that audiences already know. Beginning with her latest release, “Risk You Run,” the album opens further into soul and R&B, bringing forward the influences that have always lived within her voice and identity as an artist.

Rather than representing a departure from country, One Trick Pony brings the full range of Shantaia’s sound together in one body of work. “Risk You Run” serves as the album’s turning point, marking the moment she stops holding those influences at the edges and brings them fully into the music. Even its title reflects the creative leap behind the project and Shantaia’s decision to trust the direction that feels most natural to her.

“I’ve never been someone who wanted to be put in a box when it comes to my sound, but a few years ago I found myself playing the game in Nashville,” says Shantaia. “‘Risk You Run’ is the first song on this project that really leans into the soul and R&B influences that have always felt the most natural for my voice — and the music that truly lights me up as an artist.

“I’ve honestly never been more excited about creating music, and getting to work with incredible writers and producers like Curt Chambers, Brad Hill, Ryan Sorestad and Clayton Shay has made it even easier to develop this direction. This is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to keep taking the risks.”

The announcement follows another major career moment for Shantaia. This past June, she was selected from more than 500 applicants as one of three finalists in SoFi’s Amplify Your Ambitions Contest, created in partnership with Kelsea Ballerini and the CMA.

Shantaia performed during the live finale at Analog at Hutton Hotel as CMA Fest got underway, appearing before a judging panel that included Ballerini, four-time GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter and producer Shane McAnally, and SoFi Chief of Financial Empowerment Vivian Tu. Her runner-up finish brought meaningful industry recognition, including personal praise from Ballerini, as well as a prize from SoFi that Shantaia is using to invest further in her music and the next stage of her career.

Originally from Spiritwood, Saskatchewan and now based in Nashville, Shantaia is a five-time SCMA Award winner with more than six million career streams and a Top 35 single at Canadian country radio. She has performed on major festival stages and shared bills with artists including John Mayer, Kane Brown, Tyler Childers and Midland, building a career that now spans both sides of the border.

With “Risk You Run” available now, One Trick Pony will continue to unfold throughout the coming months before its full release on October 16. For more information on Shantaia, new music, and live dates, follow @shantaiamusic across platforms or visit www.shantaiamusic.com.