(August 25, 2019) What’s multi-faceted, full of sparkle, yet one of the toughest elements on Earth? Diamonds. Weight and pressure help to form these treasured jewels, and the unique burden of being a sister is what Sharlene-Monique rhapsodizes about on her glib and jazz-inflected mid-tempo, “Diamond Woman.”
Part of the process of owning one’s adulthood is learning what to add and what to subtract, and Sharlene-Monique, a singer and songwriter who sang in the Royal Wedding’s Kingdom Choir and embarked on a European tour shortly after the release of her lauded EP, Destiny, demonstrates a saucy soprano and lyrics that empower and inspire: “Evolving daily, living my best life, this space I’m in, there’s no compromise….take it or leave it, I’ll be just fine.”
Counting the likes of Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Lauryn Hill as major influences, “Diamond Woman” plays up the power of women in general and Sharlene-Monique in particular, reminding us that despite our different origins, our value reflects from within.
By Melody Charles
Sharlene-Monique – “Diamond Woman”
