The singer Sonja is about to release its new single “Mudanças”, which is part of the authorial album “Rainha de Copas”. With blues and soul influences, the artist was inspired by tarot cards and her own personal transformations to create music, addressing themes such as abusive relationships, overcoming and spiritual reconnection. After the success of the first single “Calma”, the new song and its music video will be released on June 30th, bringing a message of female empowerment and self-esteem.
With a variety of musical influences ranging from Ney Matogrosso and Rita Lee to John Coltrane and Tim Maia, Sonja is not limited to a specific musical genre, but seeks to break down barriers and bring blues to a wider audience. The song “Mudanças” reflects a decisive phase in the singer’s life, exploring the idea of abandoning what no longer serves and embracing the transformations that life brings. Spirituality also plays an important role on the album, with Sonja seeking to create an empathetic connection with those who share the same experiences.
Throughout her career, Sonja faced prejudice both for being a woman and for having a body outside the standards established by society. She highlights the importance of having women by her side to combat machismo and grotesque stereotypes faced in the music industry. With determination and a passion for rock music from an early age, Sonja found her voice in musical theater and participated in “The X Factor BR”. Now, with the album “Rainha de Copas”, she seeks to share her journey and make her music echo around the world.
The full release of the album is scheduled for August and promises to bring together old and new songs, portraying the singer’s life story. Each song on the album represents a tarot card, reflecting Sonja’s journey of finding her own strength and overcoming chaos. With the collaboration of Marco Lacerda and Ygor Helbourn, the album is a combination of influences and talents that promise to captivate listeners. Sonja aims to push her music beyond the limits and dreams of collaborating with artists like Liniker, Ney Matogrosso and Buddy Guy, further expanding her reach and impact on the music scene.
How would you describe the musical style of your new single “Mudanças” and the album “Rainha de Copas”?
He’s rock, one of my biggest influences. The album as a whole has influences from Blues and Soul and Rock and MPB, but changes have been giving the album a more Rock face.
What were the main inspirations behind the lyrics and spiritual theme on the album?
As my songs are autobiographical, the inspirations that led me to write the lyrics were my experiences. Things I lived and went through, but which, even though they are personal, are universal, they speak the language of every human being who lives and feels. The spiritual theme reminds us that we can go through all things, but spirituality will always guide us, if we let it. As the album tells about this reunion with spirituality after a difficult period, supported by the tarot cards that were taken to me by a Gypsy, the spiritual theme became necessary.
How do you approach female empowerment and self-esteem in your songs?
I have some songs that talk about empowerment, about knowing how to say no after having said yes without meaning to. And this theme comes very naturally, since it took empowering me to realize that what I was going through wasn’t right. Understanding that the environment I was in, with the people I was with, were already hurting me. But mostly, I was the one who hurt me the most, who mistreated me the most. So empowerment comes first with the transformation of the self as an enemy, until I know how to be my best friend. In addition to telling, of course, about situations in which self-esteem, self-love and especially respect for myself were clearly lacking. And since this is a daily process, building self-esteem, self-love, empowerment.
What was the creative process behind writing and producing the new single and video for “Changes”?
I composed this song on the piano. Piano and voice. And in the process of creating it, as with the whole album, first I, Marco Lacerda (music producer) and Ygor Helbourn (music co-producer) got together and started working on the structure of the song, the influences that would guide the arrangement, listening to references, etc (there’s a bit of this process on my Instagram, in a carousel behind the cover of the single). After that process, we took the song to the band for rehearsals, and everyone had a little bit of a hand in arranging it. We rehearsed a lot until it entered the studio and, even ready, it still underwent modifications there. This was one of the most difficult songs in this production process, says Marcão (music producer). And it’s one of my favorites.
And in the process of creating the clip, my girlfriend and I had to turn the house upside down, tidy and untangle everything a few times. She was very patient. We recorded it in one day and, the next day, when we saw the images, we understood that we would have to record everything again. Between crying and tiredness, her support was essential for us to be able to do it all over again. Looking at the clip, it may seem that it was simple, but seeing everything out of place can be really distressing hahahaha So the work in pairs strengthened the process. The two giving ideas and working together and in the end, I thought the result was beautiful and true to the song.
How do you believe your music can impact and connect with listeners who identify with your personal experiences?
I believe that it can reach both in a positive way and a little more densely to those who listen. Of course, as these are personal experiences that many people have already gone through, I imagine that it can cause many sensations. But I hope the impact is good. I see people getting emotional when listening and that for me is very important, because there are songs that are meant to be felt. And I hope it can help someone, just like music has helped me so far.
What are the most outstanding musical influences in your career and how are they reflected in your compositions?
Among some of my great influences, I can mention Bessie Smith, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Dinah Washington, Elis Regina, Liniker and Rita Lee. I see that one thing in common between all of them is the viscerality with which they express themselves through their voices. They are true, courageous artists who make me feel every lyric of what they are singing. They are artists who put heart and soul in their voice. And that strength and courage helped me a lot in the decision to release my compositions to the world, in Portuguese. They were almost all in English and in the process of creating the album, I asked Marco Lacerda and Jeyce Valente for help to bring them to Portuguese without them losing their meaning. But bringing it to Portuguese, I feel that I was even more exposed, open. And remembering the courage of these singers helped me to embrace it more strongly.
How do you deal with the challenges and prejudices you face as a woman in the music industry?
I learn to cope, actually. We always think that there is an answer for everything, that there is a position for everything, that we know how to act, what to say in certain situations, but when it happens, everything is totally different. So, I believe that experience brings this “how to deal” more clearly. Prejudices are there and there are a lot of badass women in the middle helping us to understand them and how to face them. So I deal with it, being who I am and taking my space in music. Whatever comes, I trace, I learn.
How would you describe the importance of spiritual connection in your life and how is this reflected in your music?
I believe that taking care of our spiritual is the first step for EVERYTHING we do and how we live. So, to be connected with spirituality, is to be connected with my greatest inner strength, is to be connected with my intuition, connected with the paths that life brings me, anyway. And this is all very important, because it always tells me where I should or shouldn’t go, what I should or shouldn’t do, the best step to take, etc. When I’m spiritually connected with myself and my guides, things flow better, inspirations come a thousand times, paths become clearer and I have a better understanding of each step of the process. I’m very sentimental, you know. Being connected makes me calm this water inside me. And this is very important in music and in all the processes it brings me, because it brings me a certain clarity of things around me,
What are your future plans regarding your music career and which artists would you like to collaborate with in the future?
I want to make the most of this album release, I want to take it to every stage I can, I want to sing at festivals, etc. Ah, everything an artist thinks of doing when they release an album! I would love to one day be able to sing with Liniker! She is a big inspiration for me. I would also like one day to be able to sing with Ney, Tulipa Ruiz… anyway! Artists I admire so much.
How do you hope people will receive your album “Rainha de Copas” and what message do you hope to convey through your songs?
The message I want to convey is that everything has its time here. We have our time to collect ourselves, to cocoon, to be sad. But we have to try to get out of there when time no longer fits us. Knowing how to get up from the table when love is not being served. Knowing how to leave when that place got small and strange for you, knowing how to say no to the other and yes to yourself. And that we are all facing some battle, we must not give up on us. I hope this album is received with an open heart and ears wide open.
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