Michael Shuman has been quietly building something that demands full attention. GLU, his genre-blending solo project, is out now with a bold reimagining of Jennifer Paige’s 1998 pop hit “Crush,” and it’s a genuine statement. Darker, more cinematic, and planted firmly in GLU’s modern sonic landscape, the cover preserves the original’s vulnerability while pulling it somewhere entirely new.
Shuman is direct about why “Crush” made sense. “The music side is the fun part, where you augment it to a completely different landscape, giving a totally different perspective to the original,” he explains. “Crush is an amazing pop song, but was produced at a time where I don’t think it got its due.” The reimagining gives the song room it never had, and the video delivers on every promise the audio makes.
The release also comes with significant news. GLU has signed a brand new recording deal with FLG (Skunk Anansie, Corella, As It Is), adding serious infrastructure to a project that’s already proven it can move without it. This is a year of momentum for Shuman, and the pieces are falling into place fast.
GLU first surfaced in early 2023 with debut EP ‘My Demons’, a raw excavation of struggle, addiction, loss, and childhood trauma. The project found Shuman writing outside his comfort zone from the start, building from beats, synths, and lyrics rather than guitar riffs. “I wanted to do something that scared me,” he’s said. “Something that felt fresh, and fully on my own terms.” That instinct paid off immediately.
The 2025 single “Boogie Man” pushed things further. An infectious, dance-forward track drawing comparisons to Jamiroquai, Gorillaz, and Mac Miller, it landed a major sync placement in MLB The Show ’25 alongside Kendrick Lamar and De La Soul, and pushed GLU past three million global streams. BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music both came on board, with press from NME and Rolling Stone cementing the project as something operating well beyond side-project territory.
GLU has toured with The Kills, Blood Red Shoes, and Miles Kane, and has headlined its own UK dates. With a new record deal, a striking new single, and a full year of activity ahead, GLU is running at full speed. “Crush” is out now, and it’s only the beginning.