Jessica Rose Lehrman
Five years ago, during a relationship, the universe sent Tamara Renée a batch of cryptic messages. She didn't know what they meant at the time, so she decided to channel them into a song. The outcome was “Cycles” — a magnetic soul stirrer with hints of Sun Ra, King, and Baduizm. According to the Harlem-born singer, the song began as a “deeply personal microcosm initiation” and evolved into “a more universal macrocosm.”
“I received lots of information and messages that I didn't really understand at the start of writing ‘Cycles.’ I think songs know more than I do, and I am just a vessel to transmit messages. The messages started to make more sense to me as I began to grow into the song,” Renée told The FADER via email. “I hope listeners can feel empowered and that it can be a healing experience. I wrote it to cope with the natural cycles of life, and to tap into my own personal power of being a woman. Every part of the song and video was made with the intention of love, respect, and honesty; we tapped into imagery and mythology that is pretty ancient, but we also put our own spin to it. I feel like I am creating my own mythology that can hopefully speak to many, as well as create space for those who don't normally hear or see themselves depicted.”
“Cycles” and its accompanying video — which was directed by artist Ivan Forde — are premiering on The FADER today. Check out both below.
Tamara Renée's debut LP, Conjur Woman, will be released winter 2017.
