SUNDAY’S BEST: KIERRA SHEARD

SUNDAY’S BEST: KIERRA SHEARD

By Teryl Warren

Despite our Declaration of Independence and give-me-liberty-or-death decrees, Americans have always been fascinated by royalty. It’s no wonder then that gospel music fans are enchanted with Kierra Sheard who, as the daughter of Clark Sisters member Karen Clark Sheard, represents the next generation of one of gospel music’s most regal and revered families.

“My mom is absolutely amazing. She’s a beautiful woman and I adore her and thank God for her. She watches over me and my career and always gives me encouraging words. To have someone like her – a living legend – to be a shining example for me is amazing.”

In addition to the invaluable advice and guidance Kierra gets from her family, she’s learned a great deal about herself, as a woman, through her art.

“Over the course of recording these past 5 albums, I’ve learned that I‘m a little braver and stronger than what I thought. I’ve done some things I never thought I would do, challenged to go out the box and build my brand,” she shared. “I love the Lord and I try my best to live right, I’ve grown in every way. I’ve heightened my standards, I’ve learned how to be okay with being alone and finding the beauty in being alone, and I’ve learned to really I love my life.”

These days, Kierra’s life is somewhat of an ongoing balancing act. When she’s not busy making music, Kierra’s other passion projects include her Bold! Right! Life! (BRL) non-profit organization that nurtures youth both spiritually and naturally. Her passion for fashion is also evident with the launch of her new line of hosiery called Sheers by Sheards.

“Sheers by Sheards is a line of quality, control top hosiery that is both accessible and affordable. We offer flesh tone shades for every skin color and sizes for all shapes-especially for curvy women.”

Kierra’s hosiery line is currently available exclusively at Walgreens in Chicago, Illinois and Houston, Texas and plans to expand to additional markets are currently in the works.

From managing her work with her BRL Foundation, to launching new projects to television appearances on BET’s Sunday Best and the network’s upcoming docu-series “The Sheards,” 2013 Stellar Award-winning Female Vocalist of the Year’s art imitates her life, as she characteristically fuses elements from various genres like hip hop, jazz and traditional gospel into a sound that is uniquely and authentically Kierra.

“I love hip hop because it allows us to be free,” she told us. “Hip hop inspires you to be who you are. In some ways, the message of gospel is the same,” she said. “In the Spirit of the Lord there is liberty. Ecclesiastes 11: 9 says to enjoy your freedom and encourages us to be happy while we’re young, just remember that we must give an account to God for everything we do. Blending elements from both genres makes perfect sense because through the hip hop elements in my music, I’m able to be fun and relate to everyone else, while the gospel sets me apart by conveying the standard I live by and showing that I and other gospel artists stand for something.”

 

 

Released on July 22, Kierra’s latest album, Graceland, features an eclectic blend of songs that seamlessly balance modern sensibilities with traditional values – both lyrically and musically. From tracks that ode to the Clark Sisters, to the Harmony Samuels-produced “Save Me,” to the album’s first single “2nd Win,” the album is packed with danceable beats and powerful encouraging messages.

“’2nd Win’ was produced by my brother Isaac Sheard. We’ve worked together since we were kids and this song means a lot to me because sometimes we all want to give up on ourselves and on the Lord,” she shared. “This song reminds us of the hard times we made it through and encourages the listener that you can win, again, because you were born to win.”

As a young woman in a world that often meets spirituality with cynicism, Kierra Sheard lives life to the fullest and to the best of her ability. Through her music, connects with her listeners on an honest and personal level because she knows exactly what they’re going through.

“I want my music to be relevant to everyone and I don’t want young people to think Christianity is boring,” she laughed. “I hope this record will bless a lot of listeners. I want people to know that they can still stay fly without having to compromise their convictions.”

Listen to Kierra’s single 2nd Win and let us know what you think!

To keep up with Kierra, please visit her website at: Iamkierrasheard.com. To learn more about her Bold!Right!Life! organization, please visit: Brl.org

Leave A Comment