Naomi Sharon Is Learning To Let Go

On her new EP The Only Love We Know, Naomi Sharon continues the dreamy echo chamber that began with her debut album Obsidian. She’s quietly carved out a cult following among those who crave sensual R&B that can often be categorized as “moody” or nocturnal. Now signed to OVO and walking her own line between mystic softness and grown-woman clarity, Naomi returns with a project executive produced by Jordan Ullman of Majid Jordan, one that came from her learning to let go. 

When we hop on Zoom, both of us temporarily stationed in California, Naomi’s energy is warm but inward. She’s soft-spoken, reflective. She’s not one of those women who live in their emotions, they do not consume her. “I’m definitely in a transformative state,” she says early on, and you can feel that shift in the way this new project flows. The Only Love We Know is about surrendering to change, letting go of emotional control, and trusting that the love you lose might be the clarity you need. 

For Naomi, a Pisces woman through and through, emotion is not all she’s capable of showcasing. She and Ullman craft a sound that’s spacious but intimate. However, there’s more beneath the sensual elements of her music that’s waiting to be explored. In our conversation, Naomi opens up about the magic of working through her emotions, navigating musical comparisons, and what it means to create from a place of stillness.

AFROPUNK: So, how do you usually approach making a project like this? Especially when you’ve got such an easy creative flow with Jordan, someone you’ve already worked with before. What does that process look like in the studio?

Naomi Sharon: Most of the time, we’re creating everything from scratch. Or Jordan will come in with something really beautiful, like a beat or a starting point. The last few times we were in the studio in L.A., it was just the two of us and a guitar. We really wanted to focus on pure songwriting. That’s kind of my new approach now.

AP: I definitely want to talk about the songwriting on this project because it feels really fluid. It’s personal and heavy, but not in a way that feels burdensome. What would you say your emotional or spiritual state was while writing these songs?

NS: I think I’m in a very transformative era of my life. I mean, we’re always transforming, but sometimes those shifts feel more significant. I’ve just been moving forward, moving through things and that’s really where the inspiration came from. When I listen back to the songs like “Soft Like Dawn,” which I wrote over a year ago, I can still hear exactly where I was emotionally. There’s pain in it, yes, but it’s more of a realization. That’s how I’d describe it. The songs reflect moments of realizations, where certain patterns in my life were being illuminated. 

AP: I’m actually glad you said that, because that was one of the things I was wondering. Every song feels so full like there’s this emotional weight, but it’s also a kind of release. Beautiful, but tense at times. Was there a specific song that cracked it open for you? The one where you realized, okay, I can let this go now and this is what the project is going to be?

NS: I don’t think it was one particular song that did it. It was more about everything that led up to the EP and the process of choosing which songs would be part of it. That moment of reflection and the selection, that’s when it kind of cracks open. I just fully let this go and this is what the project is going to be. But one of my favorite songs on the EP is “The Only Love We Know.” I think that one captures the feeling of realization the best. It’s kind of heartbreaking, but also positive. It’s like “oh, I see this pattern now. I see this behavior. I see who and what I keep attracting and I’m finally ready to break free from it. I’m happy to break free from that. 

AP: You’re very Pisces-coded. There’s just something about us… we straddle that emotional line between sensuality and sadness. One minute we’re a shark, the next minute we’re a little goldfish. Constantly shapeshifting, feeling everything, deeply. What draws you to that emotional palette in your music? Is it just who you are at your core, or do you think it comes more from your influences and experiences on this journey?

NS: No, it’s me. It will always be me. As long as I’m making music, or any kind of art, I’m showing up as a deeply emotional human being. Sure, I’m sensitive, but I also think there’s real power in vulnerability. In being able to cry. To feel things all the way through. Pisces or not, I think emotional people carry something really beautiful. We don’t just sit in one feeling, we go deep, spiritually too. We’re gifted in that way, but it’s also intense. It can feel overwhelming. For me, the only way to process all of that is to write about it. 

AP: That emotional depth can be kind of scary sometimes. But for you, whether it’s through music or outside of it, how do you deal with that kind of emotional weight? How do you fully move through it?

NS: I don’t really see it as “darkness,” even if it feels heavy. That might sound contradicting, but for me, it’s just part of the journey. It’s yin and yang, you need both to truly live. So when I’m going through something, sure, I cry, but I wouldn’t call it dark. That part of me is light, too. It’s just… me.

I try to ground myself. Sometimes reading or turning to someone who can guide me, that can talk to me. I think reflecting at life and yourself, every moment that you feel a little off but also when you’re doing amazing. It’s important to talk to someone and reflect on what you’re doing to stay present.

AP: That’s something I’ve been hearing a lot from other women in music lately. Just this collective desire to slow down and be in what they’re doing, instead of always thinking about what’s next. As a woman and an artist, is that how you move through the world? Like, “Let me just get through this moment,” and then the rest will come? And how does that mindset show up in your music?

NS: I try to live like that. I’m not perfect, but I really do try to stay present. And I think that presence shows up in the way I make music. I always tell the truth in my music, but now I’m also enjoying making music more. I’m putting everything in it and then I can relax. Instead of thinking about the next step, it’s more of a diary than a career.

Music is my career but I like to think that you should approach much with your heart and not with your mind. 

AP: The title of this project is The Only Love We Know. And love can mean so many things: romantic love, self-love, ancestral love… sometimes even toxic love. What does that title mean to you? And what kind of love are you speaking to?

NS: The Only Love We Know means…the things we grow up with, certain behaviors we’re taught to accept as love, even if they aren’t healthy. It’s about realizing that what you thought was love… might not actually be love. Sometimes it’s just the love people showed you or from your environment, but that doesn’t mean it’s real love or unconditional love.

AP: People are talking a lot about softness and sensuality right now, especially in aesthetic terms like the whole “soft girl era” moment. But for Black women in R&B, it feels deeper than just a vibe. With artists like you, Ari Lennox, even Summer Walker, there’s this embrace of vulnerability. Do you feel like that softness is a kind of rebellion? A strength? — would you even consider yourself an R&B artist?

NS: I think I’m pretty fluid when it comes to genre. I can make an R&B song, a pop song. I do whatever I feel but I think the world is really angry right now. There’s so much grief, guilt, anger, all of these lower frequencies going on. And I think in order to deal with that, I have to tap into a softer side. I can be angry all the time or sad or guilty.

I think it’s really important, especially for women in music right now, it’s us to be tapping into our feminine power. It’s soft but it’s doesn’t mean that we don’t have a voice anymore or that we can’t scream. I think it’s just coming to terms with yourself and your softeness and vulnerability. I see that as your power.

AP: Since we’ve been talking about femininity and softness, who are some women in music who made you feel seen or made you feel soft? Whether that was when you were growing up or even more recently.

NS: I’ve always loved, and still love, Tina Turner. She’s such a rare figure in this industry. The way she kept going, even when she was in an abusive relationship at the time… she was still resilient afterwards, still performing.

And of course, she did it all with this insane voice. I wouldn’t call her sound “soft,” but her tapping into that power in herself, that’s insance. It’s like she was a hero. I can only imagine how many women maybe heard of her story and had the same abusive backround in a realtionship or home and felt like they could survive cause she did.

AP: Wow. I wouldn’t have guessed Tina Turner, but I love that you brought her up. Funny enough, I was doing some random research recently and found out that “Nutbush City Limits” was the first song she ever wrote by herself. And when you listen to it with that context, it hits different. She’s describing her hometown, the people who raised her…it’s raw, and it’s the first time it really felt like her voice, not Ike and Tina… just Tina.

NS: Yes, exactly. She’s incredible. And I think with this new EP, and with the new songs I’m working on, I’ve been thinking a lot about that. Like, I’ve been in a more vibey space with Obsidian, but I know I can do more with my voice than I’ve shown so far. And it’s not about proving anything, it’s about channeling a different kind of energy.

When I think of Tina, she’s for sure an inspiration for me when I was younger to show my voice. She was never scared.

AP: I love that you mentioned Tina. One thing I hear a lot about you is “Oh my gosh, she’s really like Sade.” And I get it, but I also hate when people do that because it can feel like they’re flattening what makes someone special. Like… let her be Naomi. Have you heard those comparisons before?

NS: Yeah but I think that narrative is going to change. I know people think about vibey stuff I’ve done and I’m okay with it. I mean, it’s Sade. That’s a brilliant compliment. But at the same time, I’m Naomi. A comparison isn’t bad, but when it becomes constant, then people don’t want to hear you further. Like, maybe I’m using the same drum pattern or a shaker, or maybe I’m just singing in a lower register because that’s what my voice naturally does. That doesn’t mean I am Sade. It’s kind of annoying. Not the compliment itself, but everyone has their own voice and sound. Someone recently said I reminded them of Cher. So now I’m Cher? [laughs]. It’s limiting.

Like, “Definition of Love” is a homage to Sade. That doesn’t mean the Obsidian album is Sade-coded. I also love Sting, and sometimes I pay homahe to him but but that doesn’t mean I’m trying to be him.

AP: Let’s talk about the new EP. Did you approach it as something cinematic? Like a story unfolding track by track?

NS: When I wrapped up the EP, I made sure everything was connected. Listening from beginning to end, each song transitions into the next. It’s definitely cinematic cause that’s the way I make music. Whenever I make a song, I instantly think about a movie or music video. Kind of like a short film. The EP starts with “Bittersweet,” which to me is such a powerful song. The first song on any project for me is always the one I gravitate toward most. Then it moves into “Can We Do This Over?” and then “Calm Waters.” After that comes “Soft Like Dawn,” which feels like home to me. And finally, “The Only Love We Know.” That track feels like the end credits in a movie. It’s the closing scene, and I wanted it to feel like that.

AP: You mentioned music videos and films, so I have to ask: if you could match your music to an existing music video or film, from any artist or director, what would it be? Who captures the kind of world your sound lives in?

NS: I love Interstellar. It’s one of my favorite films. And visually, I’ve always loved Madonna’s Frozen music video. It still holds up today. It’s cinematic and spiritual in this really striking way. Those are the first two that come to mind. If I had more time, I could probably come up with a whole list. But for me, it’s always about storytelling, whether in a song, a video, or a film.

AP: What does love look like for you right now?

NS: I used to be scared of change and transformation because it felt uncertain. But I’m learning to embrace it. I’m learning to love that process. So for me, love right now looks like learning to love that process. It’s the unconditional love I can show myself by embracing uncertanity in my life.