In this special Pride Month edition of Press Play, we hear from soul singer Shea Diamond as she delivers an exclusive performance of her new single, "Don't Shoot."

Born in Little Rock, Ark, before moving to Memphis and then Flint, Mich, Diamond was inspired to become a singer by Tina Turner and honed her skills as a singer singing in church choir. As a Black Transgender woman, she faced many obscacles and expectations.

“As early as I can remember, I always identified as being a girl. It was hard work to pretend to be a gender that you’re not," Diamond said. "I should have gotten an Oscar, really. I had so much pressure on me as child to be masculine. Even when I was the choir director for our church, my mother would still whisper in my ear that I was singing too high. Growing up trans takes a lot of guts.”

Her debut EP, Seen It All, arrived last year, and earlier this month, "Don't Shoot" was released as a single. "Don't Shoot" was co-written by Diamond with Justin Tranter and Brandon Colbein and it is dedicated to the memory of gun violence victims, especially Black and Brown Trans people.

This year I fell like a superstar! Trans woman out her in these streets proudly represented at #DCPride #musician #MusicHourUK #WorldPride #TransIsBeautiful #erasureisreal #RepresentationMatters #BlackMusicMonth #activist #BlackExcellence #BlackLivesMatter #musicthatmatters pic.twitter.com/IDQp5cp4aj

— Shea Diamond (@iamsheadiamond) June 26, 2019

Feel the power in her words and voice in this exclusive performance of "Don't Shoot" for Press Play.

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Yiga Reyes is ready to make an impression with "Nadie Más." The Spanish-language track, which dropped at the end of May via Sonidos Lindavista, marks the debut release for the Mexico native, who was born and raised in the city of Linares, Nuevo León.

The song — whose title translates to "Nobody Else" in English — is typically peppered with a jaunty horn line and shimmery percussion, but for this Press Play performance, Reyes keeps things light and stripped back by using just his acoustic guitar for accompaniment.

"Yo no quiero a nadie mas/ La quiero ella, solo a ella/ Es una diosa, es una reina/ Porque me hace suspirar/ No se compara las demás," he croons on the lovestruck chorus.

In the video, Reyes reveals he's performing live from Mexico City — a nearly ten-hour drive south from his small hometown in the Mexican state just below the border of Texas. "When I was visiting Mexico City to make new songs and recordings, a friend of mine lent me his house to stay in and also allowed me to record this in his living room," Reyes says in a statement.

During the performance, the rising singer also shares that his particular brand of regional Mexican music owes a natural debt to his upbringing. In fact, the very first concert he ever attended was Nortex Festival in Monterrey celebrating Norteño and Tejano music with sets by Ramón Ayala (aka "King of the Accordion"), Eduardo "Lalo" Mora and plenty more.  

Press play on the video above to watch Reyes' acoustic performance of "Nadie Más," and check GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

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CoolestAndie makes pop music for sad kids. At least that's how she explains her style of tender Latin pop in her Instagram profile — which, naturally, is written in her native Spanish ("hago música pop para chavxs tristes"). That's certainly the case with the Puebla, Mexico native's new song "Mi Lugar Seguro," which she's playing for the very first time exclusively for Press Play.

The track, whose title translates as "My Safe Place" in English, is a follow-up to CoolestAndie's latest run of singles like "Qué Es Amor? My Love," "Flores Que Sembré" with Flor Ramírez and Yukun, "Adolescentes Asustados," and her 2021 debut EP, Te Quiero Pero No Te Lo Diré.

"I hope to help others with my music," the singer told GRAMMY.com ahead of the performance. "I just want everyone who hears my music to connect with me and my feelings."

It's been a busy year for CoolestAndie, who most recently served as the hometown opener for Drake Bell's Puebla stop on his ongoing Non-Stop Flight Tour. This fall, she'll be returning to Mexico's capital city to perform at the 2023 edition of Festival Amigo.

Press play on the video above to watch CoolestAndie's acoustic performance of "Mi Lugar Seguor," and check GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

La Doña's 'Can't Eat Clout' Celebrates Her Upbringing And "A Moment Of Reckoning"

For most aspiring musicians, attending one of the top music universities in their country and then debuting as an artist is a dream come true. Korean newcomer Seohyun Lee has made that coveted journey her reality — and it’s also the message of her new upbeat, dreamy single, "SPACESHIP."

In this episode of Press Play, Lee premieres her pre-debut single live from her alma mater, the prestigious Seoul Institute of the Arts (which boasts an impressive roster of other alumni, including EXO’s Luhan and actor Hwang Jung-min). In an exclusive statement to GRAMMY.com, Lee revealed how the school "taught me how to freely pursue music as an artist and a student." The small lecture room that served as the filming location for her episode was "a place where I completed new music, aligning our hearts as friends."

When discussing "SPACESHIP," Lee said the concept was inspired by a dream she had: "I became the main character, a person who loved everyone and was loved by everyone. Now, I can dream without falling asleep because I am a person who loves everyone and is loved by everyone."

Later this year, Lee will make her official debut in collaboration with the Seoul Institute of the Arts and JChung Management to showcase Korean musicality beyond K-pop.

Watch the video above to hear Seohyun Lee’s confident performance of "SPACESHIP," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

Press Play: Gus Dapperton & Amadelle Talk Through A Toxic Relationship In An Acoustic Performance Of "Don't Let Me Down"

On "Don't Let Me Down," Gus Dapperton and Amadelle present two sides of a breakup: one person not quite ready to give up, and the other hoping to move forward with their life.

"If you took a walk in my shoes/ You'd know why I don't want to be with you," Amadelle sings. "And now you're askin' if I'll take you back/ But, boy, I'm sorry, I can do that."

Dapperton makes a last-ditch effort to right his wrongs, responding, "I let myself ride the wave/ I've fallen to my childish ways/ And put our lives on display/ For everyone to display/ I can't believe I drove our time away."

In this episode of Press Play, watch Dapperton and Amadelle, his sister, trade off for a live, stripped-down performance of "Don't Let Me Down," with Dapperton providing support on an acoustic guitar.

"Don't Let Me Down" is the lead single from Dapperton's latest album, Henge. The track was written by BENEE and marks the pair's second collaboration — the first being BENEE's viral 2020 single, "Supalonely."

Dapperton will begin the North American Henge Tour in Burlington, Vermont, on Sept. 14.

Watch the video above to hear Gus Dapperton and Amadelle's heartfelt performance of "Don't Let Me Down," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

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