REIGNS on ‘Closer Than Your Shadow’ and the power of unity
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Newsdesk
In this exclusive interview with Music News, viral soul singer REIGNS reflects on the origins of her vulnerable yet quietly hopeful new single ‘Closer Than Your Shadow,’ the fastly-rising community that inspires her, and how founding the female-led She Wears the Crown Records is helping shape the next chapter as she moves toward her debut album Love Languages.
What inspired the story and emotional message behind ‘Closer Than Your Shadow’? I think it’s the song I needed to hear myself a little while back. Knowing people are there for you and that they have your back was something I really needed to hear. Chatting with my Rebels (followers) you come to realise that unity and just being there for people go a long way!
How did the track evolve from a brief idea into a euphoric drum & bass collaboration with WAIVES? My producer and co-writer Dee Adam presented me with this idea. It was in a different form, a slow ballad type vibe, I instantly resonated with it and suggested we get WAIVES on it as our last collaboration was such a creative connection. I felt instinctively that the emotion could really work well in the cinematic dnb lane
The song centres on unconditional support - why was that theme important for you to explore now? Quite recently I lost someone close to me - I don’t realise how vulnerable grief leaves you feeling and I’ve really had to work on allowing myself to be sad sometimes, it’s ok to not be ok all the time but no matter what - when I listen to the tune I’m reminded that people were there for me and I also learnt how to show up for myself
Do you see vulnerability in your music as a form of empowerment? 100%!! Music is therapy, and I try to approach it as authentically as I possibly can, if I’m sad, I create music about that in equal measures as being happy or whatever emotion or life lesson I’m experiencing.
What does female empowerment mean to you in today’s music industry? EVERYTHING!! That’s why Dee and I have formed our own label, ‘She Wears the Crown Records’. This year we’ll be focusing on independently releasing my album, etc., but following that,t the idea is to empower and sign female artists and actually look out for those artists with the love and respect they deserve!
How has being part of the female-led She Wears The Crown Records shaped your creative journey? I feel heard and seen, which has been key. Along the way, I’m learning about the industry, and I feel we’ve found a way to make things better for artists like myself. Women need to be celebrated and should not be making themselves small to stroke someone else’s ego- we don’t want to exclude men, we just want the same opportunities, so ‘She Wears the Crown’ is our way of creating that space.
You’re influenced by icons like Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone - how have they inspired your sense of strength and identity as an artist? Authenticity. I think that’s what’s inspired me - they are icons that are unapologetically themselves - we see them, their strengths, fears, joy, pain, etc.- they’re never contrived.
How has the success of ‘Collateral Damage’ and your TikTok community impacted your confidence and independence? I mean it’s been unbelievable to be honest, all of my songs are independent and obviously the dream is to see them do well - getting all the radio we got with Collateral Damage was way beyond my expectations, I literally played a little snippet of what we were working on in the studio on my TikTok live which was the first bounce of Collateral Damage and it just went off! It felt surreal. I’m forever grateful for that moment.
What makes a collaboration feel empowering and creatively fulfilling for you? Connection! I have my people, and it just works. I keep my creative crew small, and that helps me leave a session feeling energised and not drained. Trawling round a ton of different studios trying to get people to get your vibe is not my vibe. You build your tea,m and then the trust is solid, that’s when the magic happens
As you look ahead to your debut album Love Languages, what conversations about love, identity and self-worth do you hope to start? So many emotions are in this album; there’s a lot of light moments, too. Generally, I’m a half-full kind of person. Along the way, there’s been sadness, a few toxic relationships, but my general theme is empowerment; hopefully, people will relate. Stream ‘Closer Than Your Shadow’ Now.
