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Pop and soul singer Sharon Watkins is preparing to share her very first album in 2023. Working alongside producer Sam Miller (known for his work with The Hoosiers and One Direction), she is following up with her newest release, The One That Got Away, which arrives on 18 November 2022. The track is a tender acoustic ballad that tells the story of leaving behind a harmful relationship, finding strength, and welcoming a fresh start. With gentle piano arrangements and Sharon’s unmistakable soulful voice, the song captures an intensely emotional journey.
Her earlier singles, Proud and Stranded, have already connected with listeners in a big way, reaching more than 250,000 views on YouTube and 150,000 streams on Spotify. With this momentum building, Music News sat down with Sharon to talk about her music and what comes next.
Hi Sharon How are you?
Doing really well thanks! So excited about all the momentum we’ve had with our first 3 singles, honestly, it has been insane to have had BBC radio interviews, rotations, global press coverage and to have won an international song contest in such a short space of time!!
Tell us about your latest release ‘The One That Got Away’?
Well, it starts out as a real wintery piano ballad, portraying that moment when you suddenly realise that someone you're with is messing you around. Then, with the help of big strings and orchestral percussion, it develops into a powerful "I'm over you" song…. It is really a defiant two-fingers up at the ex that never appreciated you until it was too late. It moves from the turmoil of still having feelings for that person, cutting lose and moving on to triumphant recovery, knowing that you made the right decision.
The music video is visually stunning and the dance is beautiful, talk to us about the filming of this video and the creative decision to use dance to express the meaning of the track.
Thank you, that means a lot! We’re really pleased with the way the video came out. Me and my brother, Sammy J Stopford, who has been my partner in crime on this whole album project, knew very early on that we wanted a contemporary dance that portrayed the turmoil in this song. I also knew I wanted the video to express the mental turmoil you go through after finishing a relationship and the underwater medium just seamed such an ideal metaphor for that. We put out a request for dancers and choreographers on Instragram not thinking we would get much interest. One of our lessons on this project is that you can’t pore the right energy into a project if you don’t love the music and so this was the main pre-requisite for dancers…. “please only contact us if the song inspires you!”…. we couldn’t believe the response!! We ended up watching so many amazing dance videos from such talented people. Our album is about adult life lessons and so we knew we wanted a believable couple, that had a great connection and were old enough to have gone through an adult relationship and breakup. We chose Florivaldo Mossi (Michael Jackson in West End Show “Thriller”) & Ashley Cavell (Star of many shows, including ABBA Fever) as they are both incredible dancers but also fit the storyline so well. I couldn’t believe it when Choreographer, Stewart Arnold (choreographer & dancer to Kate Bush) agreed to work on the project!!
The writing in the song is very personal. Was it emotional pouring these emotions into lyrics?
Honestly, it is like an exorcism. Songwriting is how I process and deal with life’s ups-and-downs and so I would be lost without that outlet. It forces me to really dig deep on my emotions towards things. You can’t write songs about superficial stuff, otherwise it just sounds cliché.
What do you hope people take away from ‘The One That Got Away’?
I feel like it’s the song you need a friend to play you when you have broken up from someone and are feeling injured and unsure. You need someone to tell you that you missed a bullet and one day that ex will look around and realise that they lost something very special. I have had people reach out already and tell me how relatable the message is and that it has helped them… this is the biggest compliment of all!!
Talk to us about your influences as an artist.
I grew up in Manchester surrounded by an incredible 90’s music scene, in a house where my dad played everything from The Beatles to Zappa. I then spent 8 years living in the states, picking up some great American influences like Carole King. I have now made Nottingham my home, which is where I recorded the album and I have honestly really been enjoying the return in popularity of singer-songwriters like Lewis Capaldi and Tom Odell …. So all-in-all a pretty varied range of influcences… making for an eclectic pop album that I hope you all like.
Going back briefly on the video, you collaborated with some great people on the video such as Stewart Arnold who worked closely with Kate Bush and Florivaldo Mossi, noted for being Michael Jackson in Thriller Live. Tell us about your experience working with them.
It's been the stuff of dreams really. I am a massive Kate Bush fan and to work with Stewart was like a dream come true. He and I had some long conversations about our vision for this video and the turmoil I wanted to portray. His ability to translate that into dance is something amazing to watch. I had the honour of watching him choregraph the dancers on the morning of the shoot and it was like watching a master at work, the artistic ideas that he brought to this project were incredible. Flori Mossi and Ashley Cavell are both experienced dancers but seeing the way they clicked together, and their interaction and interpretation of the song just blew me away.
What can we expect from you next?
Well, we have 3 more singles coming ahead of the album launch in 2023, so make sure you follow me on Spotify to keep up with those (Sharon Watkins) and we’re also going to be doing a series of “Live Lounge” performances of our tracks ahead of the album release so follow me on socials @sharonwatkinsofficial to keep an eye out for those.
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TrueMendous describes her debut album as the best project she has ever created, and she’s eager for fans to finally hear it. Misdiagnosis of Chyvonne Johnson, released on April 1, marks a major step forward for the Birmingham artist after building momentum through a series of EPs and mixtapes.
“I’d never created an album before,” she shared. “I had to make sure it stood apart from everything I’ve released in the past. Listening to it from start to finish, I feel like it’s stronger than anything I’ve made so far. Everything about it is on another level. All the elements made it better.”
That vision extends beyond the music itself. From the visuals for the new tracks to the album artwork designed by Father of Cain—which also appears on new merch—every detail has been carefully considered. Although the writing process wrapped up months ago and the final mixes were completed last summer, taking time to plan the rollout proved valuable.
“It’s frustrating to sit on music, but it makes me even more excited to release it,” she explained. “It’s good, too, because I get to plan the music videos properly and figure out the best way to put it out there.”
The album was shaped by a mix of Birmingham-based producers and collaborators from her label, High Focus. “It’s great to have a team that pushes and supports you,” she said. “They help amplify your voice without making it feel toxic or stifling.”
The album title is inspired by Lauryn Hill, one of her biggest storytelling influences. Following the success of her 2020 HUH? EP, expectations are high. That EP led to unexpected opportunities—Adidas used the beat from “Sweetheart” in a campaign, while “Hmm” landed on the FIFA 21 soundtrack. She also appeared in major ads for Pepsi Max and McVities.
This time, she’s aiming for more film placements. “‘Cause A Scene,’ which has an animated music video, would be perfect for a wild fight scene,” she said. The track kicks off the 17-song record, which blends rap, R&B, and pop, showcasing her versatility. “I’m a bit of a chameleon,” she explained. “I love adapting to different sounds.”
She even made the tough decision to remove some songs from the final tracklist for the first time. The result is a mix that ranges from the nine-minute “Selfish Behaviour” to a 99-second burst of energy on “You Don’t Wanna.” “I don’t plan song lengths—it just feels right,” she said. “When the lyrics ended with the beat, it felt like the perfect close.”
This variety keeps listeners engaged, appealing to fans who enjoy both long, intricate stories and quick, punchy tracks. “If you’re good enough as an artist, it doesn’t matter how long the song is,” she added. “If Drake put out a 30-minute song, people wouldn’t just stop listening halfway.”
Lyrically, the album blends her personal experiences with stories inspired by friends and documentaries, creating a unique and heartfelt perspective. “My older songs were all story-based,” she said. “I used to tell other people’s stories through my voice as a narrator. It’s only in the last two years that I’ve started opening up more about myself.”
The final track, “Yvonne’s Daughter,” is her most personal yet. For someone who admits, “I don’t reveal anything about anything,” it’s a raw look at her relationship with her mother. Family ties keep her grounded in Birmingham, even as her career grows in London.
“Birmingham’s slower than London,” she reflected. “It doesn’t lack talent—it just needs to be seen and heard. London has the labels, A&Rs, and events. I go back to Birmingham to slow down.”
That calm may not last long, with more projects in the pipeline and global ambitions ahead. She’s particularly excited about performing in places where fans don’t speak English but still know the lyrics.
“More than anything, I just want the album to do well,” she said. “I know how much effort went into it, and it’s a really good project. I’m confident and comfortable with it, and I can’t wait to see how people respond.”
Misdiagnosis of Chyvonne Johnson by TrueMendous is out now on High Focus Records.
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