Platinum-selling singer-songwriter Em Beihold has released her highly anticipated debut album, Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter, today via Island EMI Label Group.
This daring and deeply personal collection of songs explores themes of identity, expectations, and the pressures of trying to be everything at once. Throughout the album, Beihold transforms feelings of self-doubt into sharp, cathartic pop, blending vulnerability with wit in her signature style.
“Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter is about the struggle to fill all the roles society expects us to play—only to realize that forcing ourselves into molds that don’t fit only holds us back,” Beihold explains. She reflects on her journey following her breakthrough hit, “Numb Little Bug,” describing a period of emotional upheaval—from experiencing overwhelming success to questioning her creativity and purpose. The album is her story of returning to herself through pop music, and after spending so long living inside this project, she’s proud to finally share it. “I can’t wait for people to hear it,” she adds.
Partially written during outpatient therapy and inspired by the artists who initially sparked her love for songwriting, the album delves into topics like comparison, co-dependency, ambition, burnout, and self-reclamation. While her early success introduced her to a global audience, Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter stands as her most cohesive and fully realized statement yet.
Beihold first gained widespread recognition in 2022 with her hit single “Numb Little Bug,” an honest anthem inspired by her experience with antidepressants. The song reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, earned platinum certification, and propelled her onto late-night TV, international tours, and the mainstream pop scene. With her debut album, she channels that momentum into a confident new chapter.
To celebrate the release, Beihold will launch her most extensive global headline tour to date. The Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter Tour kicks off on May 11th in Dublin, including a performance at the UK’s The Great Escape Festival, followed by dates across Europe. The North American leg begins on May 24 at the Mod Club in Toronto, with stops across major cities before wrapping up with a hometown show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on June 15.
In partnership with PLUS1, Beihold will donate $1 from every ticket sold to organizations supporting immigrant rights, deportees, migrants, and refugees. For more information, visit www.plus1.org.
Tour Dates:
May 11, 2026 — Dublin, Ireland – The Road to The Great Escape
May 12, 2026 — London, UK – Garage
May 14, 2026 — Brighton, UK – The Great Escape Festival
May 16, 2026 — Amsterdam, Netherlands – Tolhuistuin
May 18, 2026 — Paris, France – La Machine du Moulin Rouge
May 20, 2026 — Cologne, Germany – Luxor
May 24, 2026 — Toronto, Canada – Mod Club
May 26, 2026 — Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
May 27, 2026 — Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
May 28, 2026 — Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry
May 30, 2026 — Washington, D.C. – The Atlantis
June 1, 2026 — Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
June 2, 2026 — Nashville, TN – The Basement East
June 4, 2026 — Chicago, IL – Chop Shop & 1st Ward
June 5, 2026 — Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line
June 7, 2026 — Denver, CO – Meow Wolf
June 8, 2026 — Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell
June 10, 2026 — Seattle, WA – Neumos
June 11, 2026 — Vancouver, BC – The Pearl on Granville
June 12, 2026 — Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
June 14, 2026 — San Francisco, CA – The Independent
June 15, 2026 — Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
- Email: neill@outloudculture.com
- Socials: @frazer.live
- @neill.outloud
