I was immediately interested in this song's backstory when I first listened to it. Who is Shameika? Why did she tell Apple that she had potential? Where can I find a Shameika of my own? So many questions. Turns out, Shameika was one of Apple's middle school classmates. In an interview with Vulture, Apple revealed, "I just remember being in the cafeteria, a bunch of girls at one end of the table. I came over to sit with them, and they started laughing at me. So I sat one seat away but still tried to be close to them. Shameika came up, and she was like, 'Why are you trying to sit with those girls? You have potential.' That was all she said to me."
What I love most about the hook "Shameika said I had potential" is how personal yet universal it is. Someone saw something in Apple at an early age and that stuck with the New York-born singer ever since. Because of that, Apple's sense of belonging has a name, her hope has a name, and her affirmation of worth has a name: Shameika. All of those abstract concepts centreed around finding value in life became a bit more tangible thanks to Shameika's simple edict, "You have potential." It's a reminder that we could all use every now and then.