Otep Shamaya has officially confirmed that she is working on new music following her 2024 retirement. The former frontwoman of OTEP made it clear that she is returning to the studio. Fans should not expect a return to the nü-metal sound that defined her earlier work.
The statement addressed ongoing questions about her musical future. It revealed that her creative direction has shifted significantly since stepping away.
“Hi. Many are asking if I’m making new music. YES. I am. Not in the old genre. But same message, mood, atmosphere,” Shamaya said. “I’m proud of all my albums and everything I contributed to that space. But it’s changed, I’ve changed and new creative terrain was necessary for my creative engine and my sanity.”
Shamaya elaborated on the themes that will shape her upcoming work, drawing from her personal experiences in recent years.
“The new music explores my recent battles with mental and emotional health, growing up Queer, fighting for equity and equality and the ghouls who want to destroy us, being a fighter, a survivor and living authentically,” she explained.
She also acknowledged that the shift in sound may not be welcomed by all longtime listeners. She emphasized the importance of staying true to herself.
“Some will hate it, they want the girl who goes grrrr, others will love it, but I have to stay true to my self,” Shamaya continued. “My words have always mattered most to me and that’s my focus now. Centering the message, the lyrics, the meaning.”
Shamaya revealed that she has one demo near completion, though she is still deciding on its release. “I was thinking of releasing it but I dunno, needs some minor changes to the mix, etc. But my ppl are telling to wait. It’s hard bcz I’m just really excited. No clue where my passions will take me except I know it will be armored with joy,” she said. “Love and respect to all.”
The announcement marks a sharp reversal from where Shamaya stood just two years ago. In November 2024, she announced her retirement from music entirely. She stated that she was liquidating her extensive collection of music equipment. This included autographed guitars used on tour and in the studio. That decision effectively ended the run of OTEP, the band she founded in Los Angeles in 2000.
Over the course of more than two decades, OTEP established itself as a distinct force in the heavy music landscape. The band was known for its aggressive blend of nü-metal and spoken word poetry, a style often described as “art-house nü-metal.” Shamaya’s confrontational lyrics and uncompromising political stance on issues such as human rights, queer rights, and anti-capitalism became the group’s defining trademarks.
The band released nine studio albums across its career, each one carrying Shamaya’s signature blend of rage and poetry. The final album, The God Slayer, arrived in 2023 through Cleopatra Records. At the time, it was understood to be the closing chapter of the OTEP project. Shamaya was walking away from music altogether.
Now, that chapter appears to have been reopened on entirely new terms. Shamaya has made it clear that her return is not about nostalgia or revisiting past glories. It is about forward movement. The new material still carries the same weight of message and meaning. It is exploring creative terrain that she says was necessary for her artistic survival and mental well-being. Further updates on the new music are expected as she continues working on the demos.
