Episode 9: How to Be a Pop Star Scholar with Suroor Hassan

At the age of 5, Suroor Hassan wanted to become a pop star.

She discovered Britney Spears who taught her unapologetic self-expression and artistic presentation. This early fascination with pop as an idea has led her to experiment with the art form, blending sounds she heard growing up in Pakistan, layered hyperpop glitter, poetic themes of queer joy and angst, and performance. Not only is Suroor a pop star on the rise who recently finished a tour of the Midwest, she’s an adjunct professor and scholar working on her dissertation.

In this episode of the Like Really Creative Show, we talk about Suroor’s musical persona merging with her personal growth, why she chose the name “Suroor,” how she went from living on autopilot to giving a fuck about herself, the juxtapositions explored in her debut album “Lavender Showers,” how she’s transitioned to studio recording for her sophomore album, how she unpacked her immigration experience with her poetry collection “Peeling the Petals,” co-running an experimental music label @purgatorypressings with her wife, expanding her perspective and creativity through her academic work, overcoming performance anxiety, how she manages multiple projects, and her dreams of flying.