ICYMI: #WomanCrushWednesday IG Live featuring Cheri Moon

BY LAURA HARPER/WWR Staff Writer

Musicians have a unique opportunity to utilize their platforms for the good of social change and awareness, and when it comes to empowering women through music, few artists shine as bright as Cheri Moon.

Moon was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, where music surrounded her from a very young age. As a child, she was part of a family choir that focused on gospel and blues while touring various churches, which would eventually lay the groundwork for her future career in music.

Although she doesn’t consider herself to be a blues artist, Moon says her upbringing in Tennessee helped to shape her sound with hints of blues and soul.

After visiting a friend who lived in New York, Moon made the decision to leave her hometown and move there to benefit her music career, which ultimately proved to be a good decision in helping her make new, valuable connections in the music industry.

“So many people have the impression that people in New York are rude, but it’s the opposite,” Moon said. “It’s so easy to meet people and talk to people.”

Moon says she realized that she could make a career out of music when she began hearing lyrics and melodies in her head regularly. She has since made a habit of writing these ideas down or recording them, since they can often be fleeting if not addressed right away.

A common theme in Moon’s music is women’s issues, which is sparked by growing up in a large family surrounded by lots of strong women and having two daughters of her own.

“Sometimes it is a bigger struggle as a woman to break the mold,” Moon said.

During the interview, Moon sang one of her songs called “Ain’t I A Woman,” a title that comes from the Sojourner Truth speech, which is an anthem that is meant to make women feel powerful. She released this song on International Women’s Day alongside a music video and had only made the decision to do so a few months prior to the release.

Moon said it was a challenge to release the song and music video during such a short timeframe in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic, especially considering that they only had one day to shoot the music video. For the shoot, the all-woman had to drive out to the desert and film Moon portraying various characters that required multiple costume changes.

“The energy between all of the women was so amazing,” Moon said. “Everyone was so excited and pumped.”

Moon says there will be a few remixes of that song coming soon, along with remixed versions of a few of her dance tracks that hit the charts in Europe a few years ago.

When it comes to empowering other women in the music industry, Moon says the main key is to have a willingness to take chances.

“We are sometimes so afraid to knock on the door, but you will never know if you don’t try,” Moon said.

For more on Cheri Moon, you can check out the entire interview on the @OfficialWomenWhoRock IGTV channel on Instagram.