Samora is kickstarting the... | Hapilos
Switzerland-based recording artiste Samora is kickstarting the summer with the release of her new album ‘Chameleon’ self-produced along with Res Staudenmann and Kiro MusicMaker, distributed through Hapilos. The 13-track album is captivating with themes of ‘love’, ‘sex’, ‘heartbreak’, and ‘motivation’. Surprisingly, each track brings a different feeling or emotion with a variety of instruments used to fuse reggae, contemporary R&B, pop, dancehall, and afro-beat.
The album’s name ‘Chameleon’ represents a period of change. For Samora, this album shows that she has mastered having a clearer perception and stronger intuition when it comes to adapting to any surrounding or situation.
The album starts with a club banger called ‘Pon Di Front (Independent)’ that immediately exudes high energy while celebrating independent women. Samora, who has Jamaican heritage, brings out a sexy/sultry island ‘gyal’ sound with lyrics that make you want to get up and dance. An excerpt from the song reads:
“Oh – we are pon di front road
We taking over and you know
We nah play we come fi
try it ourselves, make it ourselves, fight it ourselves, kill it ourselves
You’re proud and you’re independent
Work hard fi di money you a spend
Show your curves off, you’re clean, you nah smell – nah”
This single will no doubt captivate Caribbean music enthusiasts and can easily be branded as a ladies’ anthem.
Second on the track list is ‘Let Them Go’ featuring Jah Mason. This track speaks to getting rid of bad energy and negativity. Listeners are left with a sense of encouragement to ‘clean up their space’ and to stay away from ‘polluted minds’. Samora believes that clearing negativity will lead to a more fruitful and stress-free life.
The message in ‘Let Them Go’ is like the single ‘Rise’. In ‘Rise’, she introduces the song by singing, “Never let them bring you down; Never let them fool you around” then adds,
“Rise past di fame so we play out di game
Shoot with your bullets I’m used to di pain
Your negativity it no feed me it no tease me I will not let it run through my veins
I cried many tears and said Never again”.
These songs compliment the 3rd track on the album, ‘Tears’, in which she sings “Clean up my closet and mi nah go look back”. ‘Tears’ is not a typical heartbreak song; the single speaks to hurt within the relationship but the need to strike back through success. Samora does not shy away from taking accountability in the single while talking about the sacrifices she has made and the lessons she learned along the way. She sings,
“The tears that I cried
All the lies, the fights
All the sacrifice, so yes, I cried
I had to learn the hard way to survive”
The ‘Chameleon’ artiste aims to motivate women to pull through broken relationships and embrace positive change. This is also evident in ‘Never Thought’, which she sings,
“No, you’re not fooling me
You cannot be schooling me
About all di reasons why you think that I should stay”
Jamaican reggae powerhouse Anthony B and the soulful Turbulence added great value to the album. Songs like ‘All the Way’ featuring Anthony B, ‘Please Be Mine’ featuring Turbulence, and ‘Is there any Left’ all show Samora embracing love. She mentions love as a ‘risk’ and a ‘gamble’ and doesn’t hold back her raw and real emotions through her lyrics. Her aim with these songs is to relate to other women who pride the love and affection of their spouse. ‘Reggae I’m in Love’ featuring La Tifa embraces a different type of love. For Samora, she speaks of her admiration and appreciation of the genre singing:
“Reggae in my heart and bones
Reggae make me bounce shaking up my soul
Reggae yeah you make me sound whole
Reggae you’re my positive magnetic pole”
Reggae supporters will enjoy the authenticity of this single. However, a shocker on the album is the single, ‘Too Bad’, which gives us the naughty side of Samora. The song can be described as having an afro-beat pop fusion. The ‘streamy’ single featuring Tuffarapha shows the artiste embracing her sexy, dominant side.
To take it down a notch, ‘Take It Easy' is the ultimate ‘feel-good’, ‘reflective’ single. As the song begins, you find yourself floating away into a place of peace. The composition and classical sound and style make you envision a tropical island vacation away from the hustle of everyday life. She mentions being ‘locked up in her brain’. The single features Guillaume Hoarau, who delivers his verse in French.
In ‘Precious’, Samora speaks about the love and appreciation for ‘black women’. This song is very timely with the ongoing conversations surrounding the Black Lives Matter Movement. The single touches topics of hurt and discrimination of our black women and motivate them to rise beyond adversity. She sings,
“Melanin, brown skin, we are di winner, we are not di victim
Roar remember that we come from far, far my ancestors carry dem scars
Soar had to overcome many wars we are di real generals five stars”
She makes it clear that black women will not tolerate discrimination or participate in segregation.
‘My Way’, featuring Dr. Ring Ding is a surprise track on the album. The single grabs you right away with what seems to be a fusion of ska, dancehall, and reggae. With clear instructions such as “Move it to di left, move it to di right; Back Inna di center, do it all night; Hand Inna di air, high as a kite” you immediately start moving and grooving. ‘My Way’ showcases the powerhouse vocals of Samora and her range.
All in all, ‘Chameleon’ gives you the right fusions of different genres with a little bit of everything for everyone. She kicks off her European tour on the 3rd of June at the ‘Afro-Pfingsten Festival’ in Winterthur, CH (Switzerland). Fans can stay connected to find out new tour dates through her website samoramusic.com and are urged to follow her on Instagram @SamoraMusic, Facebook @SamoraMusic, on Twitter @SamoraWorldWide.
