Grammy-nominated vocalist-songwriter Somi has released her soulful third single, “So You Want To Be A Woman (feat. Lakecia Benjamin),” from her upcoming album What Does It Take to Bloom?, set for release on Friday, August 7 via Salon Africana.
The single examines the unspoken expectations placed upon all women and the burdens they are expected to hold.
Speaking directly from the embodied realities of Black womanhood, Somi’s commanding vocals alongside a fiery solo by Grammy-nominated saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin take listeners on a powerful sonic journey.
Reflecting on the track, Somi shares that the song is a conversation with her younger self who could never have imagined the beauty and burden that accompany womanhood, hoping the title poses a question with an answer that offers a future shaped by greater freedom and possibilities.
You can stream/download the track HERE.
The song follows the album’s first two singles: “Sometimes Love (feat. The Cavemen),” a groove-heavy love song transporting listeners to the intoxicating heat of Lagos, and “We’re All Falling,” an affecting track confronting mortality with striking clarity.
For Somi, every album is an act of place-making, traversing the cultural bridge between Africa and America
On her forthcoming project, written and recorded between Dakar, Lagos, Paris, and New York City, the terrain shifts from a physical city or country to map the self.
Defying categorization by blending jazz, soul, highlife, spoken word, and her African heritage, Somi takes greater vocal risks on this record.
Ultimately, the album is grounded in finding belonging and exploring the many facets of self-discovery that make her bloom.
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