Becoming Starshell 

Hi, my name is Starshell.  Welcome to Birthday Girl World! 

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved being on stage. Singing, dancing, modeling, and acting were just the natural ways I expressed myself. When I grew up, I chose to concentrate on music— my first love.

In 2010, “Starshell” was born when I decided to name myself after my sister, as a tribute to her.

In the wake of a personal tragedy, I started writing as my escape and therapy. That passion soon turned into the beginning of my music career, a gift that I dedicate to my beloved sister, Starchelle.

Since the day I discovered that my beautiful sibling had committed suicide, I became determined to help others see the value in themselves and in life. I want to inspire others to truly live and grow and find happiness.

Living and performing with my sister’s name lets me honor her every day and share our story. I hope it can shine a light for anyone going through the devastating pain my sister experienced, or uplift someone who has suffered the tragic loss that I did. Becoming Starshell allows me to live the life she no longer can, so I do my best each day to shine bright for her. 

 The Birth of Birthday Girl 

When I was blessed with the opportunity to be on Mary J. Blige's Matriarch Records, the first track I wanted to record was Birthday Girl, a song about celebrating life on your birthday and every day. I actually wrote it on my iPhone voice recorder a year before I got a chance to record it! It’s a song that existed in me for a while, inspired by my life experiences and desire to uplift others.

When we were on the “Dance Again” tour with Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias, as well as the “Liberation” tour with Mary J. Blige and D’Angelo, people kept asking me about the Birthday Girl shirts that my dancers and I were wearing.  Eventually we started selling them at shows and we pretty much sold out of them. That’s when I really knew that people connected with the song and the message.

When I released my second single, My Star, dedicated to my sister, I thought it would be the perfect time to also launch the Birthday Girl line of loungewear —clothing that you can dress up or down and always feel comfortable, vibrant, and sexy.

Today, Birthday Girl is a brand and a mission to encourage every girl to CELEBRATE LIFE EVERYDAY like it’s her birthday!  

 More About Me 

I was born in Lowell, Massachusetts to a French and Brazilian mother and an African American father.  As a kid, I was an actress and a model (whether or not they were cameras around!) but after college, I decided to concentrate on a career in music.  

A chance encounter in the hallway with the amazing Kanye West, led to a writing collaboration on “Love Lockdown” in 2008.  In 2009, I wrote “I Can See in Color,” which was featured in the Oscar-Nominated film, “Precious.” Recently, I started acting again and was on “Law and Order SVU”. And yes, that’s me in the “Funny Valentine” episode being called a “Beef Cookie”!

Thank you for reading and taking this journey with me. I can’t wait to see where life takes us next.