Pop singer Kendra Erika and Grammy Award-winning producer Damon Sharpe unite once again on “Sublime,” a psychedelically poetic club track about taboo love. The song has a sensuous vibe-y lounge groove, built around a continuous tempo and looming ghost voice that harkens back to early 80’s house music.
“I'm a big believer that taboo love really helps a person find his or herself,” says Kendra Erika, who wrote the song’s lyrics against a beat produced by Sharpe and Eric Sanicola. “It may not necessarily be forever love, but experiencing something that is forbidden changes one's perspective and allows them to establish what it is he or she wants from life.” “Sublime” is being released globally through Dauman Music and Sony Red and is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon. It is also available for streaming through Pandora and Spotify.
“I was in a relationship where we wanted to test the limits to see how far we could go,” recalls Kendra Erika from her Florida home. “Being ‘on the run’ was essentially what stimulated the relationship. It made it us against the world. Nothing and no one else mattered outside of the bond we had created and it was thrilling.
“That true feeling of sublime happens when you eliminate all distractions and concentrate only on the person in front of you. Sure, it may lead to a sweet mistake, but venturing down the road of self-realization will teach you a lot about yourself and your place in the world.”
“Sublime” follows “Under My Skin” Kendra’s club single that climbed to #6 on the Billboard Dance Chart this summer. Where "Under My Skin" was nebulous, describing a vague, although brighter experience, ”Sublime" is more defined, detailing an intimate, under-wraps experience between two lovers.
“Damon and I wanted to cleanse the pallet and write something more sensual and subdued for ‘Sublime,’” Erika continues. “I channeled those experiences from my past when I would go out to the dance floor with the intention to connect with strangers that might end up rocking my world,” she laughs.
Kendra Erika is a South Florida native singer/songwriter. Trained in classical and jazz, she draws inspiration from artists like Lana Del Rey, Solange, Ellie Goulding, and London Grammar who strive to make music that is written out of pure sentiment and felt in the bones. Erika implements bold and poetic messages in her dance club beats; a concept that is new to many clubbers who often heed a song’s beat but pay less attention to its message.
“I aim to get people dancing to an authentic light,” she says. “I want them dancing not just because the beat is telling them to, but because they feel the message of unconditional love and are inspired to dance to their own beat.”
“Sublime” is Kendra Erika’s third collaboration with producer Damon Sharpe, who has written and produced for a wide array of pop artists including Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Kylie Minogue, Kelly Rowland, Monica, 98 Degrees, Anastacia, and Natalie Cole. “Kendra and I have a chemistry that shines,” explains Sharpe.
Dauman Music is planning to release a package of remixes for “Sublime,” from some of the world’s leading producers, to support the record.
“Ultimately, I hope ‘Sublime’ makes clubbers reflect on their own experiences and maybe helps lead them down the road of self-realization,” says Kendra Erika. “True beauty is being fully aware.”
To learn more about Kendra Erika, visit Daumanmusic.com and KendraErika.com.
