Indie singer-songwriter Samia released her third studio album, “Bloodless,” on April 25. Alongside the critical success of her first two albums, “The Baby” (2020) and “Honey” (2023), Samia released the “Scout” EP and “The Baby Reimagined” in 2021, with a complementary catalogue of covers over the years. Her music is deeply emotional and concerned with the legacy she’ll leave behind, which makes sense once you discover her parents’ names.
As the daughter of Kathy Najimy and Dan Finnerty, Samia has dabbled in both her parents’ industries and settled in her father’s field of choice as a musician. You’ll recognize Najimy as Mary Sanderson from “Hocus Pocus” and Finnerty from The Dan Band. Samia’s style doesn’t match the work of her parents, but she acknowledges how her Hollywood upbringing has shaped her space in the scene.
Before “Bloodless” comes out, here are ten songs to listen to, whether this is the first you’re hearing of Samia or if you’re an old fan!
- “Bovine Excision” by Samia
-
The lead single off of “Bloodless,” “Bovine Excision,” was released in January 2025. Premiering with a music video, “Bovine Excision” plays with mythology and the wilderness by referencing history and fairy tales. The bovine excision myth itself is about cattle found drained of blood since the 1970s, which Samia described as a metaphor for womanhood in an interview with The Independent.
- “Joy” by Lucinda Williams
-
Samia mentioned Lucinda Williams’ 1998 song in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. With lyrics that roam the world looking for her joy, this song fits into the mythos that Samia builds for “Bloodless”.
- “On The Bound” by Fiona Apple
-
Fiona Apple’s 1999 song is embedded in Samia’s pinned Instagram post from April 2024, the beginning of her current era. Apple’s records are also sprinkled throughout the public playlist with inspirations for “Bloodless”, solidifying her as one of Samia’s inspirations.
- “Why Didn’t You Stop Me?” by Mitski
-
While hosting the radio station FLOOD FM’s show “Hacked,” Samia played Mitski alongside Fiona Apple and Doechii. This song from Mitski’s “Be the Cowboy” deals with a deep-rooted feeling of dependency and idealization, two themes Samia has grappled with since her first collection of singles in 2017.
- “Django” by Samia
-
One of Samia’s early non-album singles, “Django,” is a raw ballad from 2018 that feels like a letter written directly to you. Its deeply confessional tone goes hand-in-hand with “Hole in a Frame,” her third single from “Bloodless.”
- “You’re Not the One” by Sky Ferreira
-
Legendary Tumblr-era artist Sky Ferreira has been an influence on a multitude of modern indie artists, and Samia is no exception. Ferreira’s 2013 hit speaks to lost romances with an upbeat production, similar to “Bloodless'” second single “Lizard”.
- “A&W” by Lana Del Rey
-
On “Pants,” the final track of “Bloodless,” Samia sings “Summer of ‘23, but I can’t remember the last one.” This song sits alongside multiple other Lana Del Rey records on Samia’s “summer 23” Spotify playlist, as she has openly listed Del Rey as an inspiration.
- “Pool” by Samia
-
The first track of Samia’s debut album, “The Baby,” is vulnerable, raw, and emotional, opening with her grandmother’s last voicemail of her singing a Lebanese lullaby. The track sets the tone for all of Samia’s post-2020 music, giving voice to the idea of becoming her own person while continuing a legacy.
- “Honey” by Samia
-
The titular track of her sophomore album, this song is a showcase of Samia’s lyrical skill as she explores the complicated relationship between alcohol and happiness. With deeply sad lyrics and what she describes as a campfire melody, “Honey” is her portrayal of hope.
- “Pants” by Samia
-
It may seem nonsensical to listen to the final track of an album before hearing the album as a whole, but Samia chose to release “Pants” exactly a month before “Bloodless'” release. The six-minute record feels like multiple different songs, spanning a wide range of emotions that will bring you to tears by the end.
Samia’s “Bloodless” is now streaming on all platforms, earning excellent critical scores and radio play. The album is deeply confessional, best listened to on a 41-minute road trip to nowhere. Excellently infused with radio static and a natural twang, “Bloodless” juxtaposes production and lyricism as the culmination of Samia’s personal style. Her 2025 tour starts on May 20th, with a series of sold-out shows across North America and Europe.