R&B's best kept secret is finally out. Another chapter in Syleena Johnson's book has been written. This time, it is more than recording an album. After amicably leaving an eight-year record deal with Jive Records in 2006, Syleena has launched her own label, Aneelys Records (Syleena spelled backwards). This opportunity comes by way of a label deal with Federal/Universal Music Group.
Syleena previously worked with countless artists and producers such as R. Kelly, Bob Power, Kay Gee, Busta Rhymes, Cam' Ron, Common, Jermaine Dupri, and Twista. Kanye West blessed her with his production on "Bulls-Eye (Suddenly)," from Chapter 3: The Flesh. Syleena proved to be Kayne's saving grace as she provided last minute vocals on the hit, "All Falls Down," which led to a Grammy nomination for both artists.
Artists often fall by the wayside and are rarely heard after leaving a major record label. But, Syleena didn't allow her split with Jive Records to rip out any pages from her next chapter. She simply took matters into her own hands and decided to go the independent route. With her label, Syleena will finally see the benefits of all her hard work, whether it be working on a personal project or signing other acts. She will finally have the creative control and power to see things through and plan out her career as she sees fit.
With this control, Syleena will give birth to her newest release, Chapter 4: Labor Pains, due January 13, 2009. Along with running her own label and being an artist, Syleena has also become a wife and mother within the past year. "My husband is an excellent man, I couldn't ask for a better one and my son is my best work yet," Syleena says. Naturally, this experience lent a hand in Syleena writing Chapter 4: Labor Pains, as she describes the pain of having a baby as the worst pain in life, but rewarding in the end. Syleena shadows her life on the principle that you reap what you sow "Nothing good comes easy. All the struggle, strife, work and pain we go through, that's the price you have to pay to reap the benefits in the end," Syleena expresses.
As always, Syleena speaks on behalf of a woman's struggles. But, she leads off on a lighter note with her first single from, Chapter 4: Labor Pains, "It Is True." She sings a heavenly love ballad about new found, true love with her husband and the product of that love. "It is everything I felt about my husband when we first met, and now the love of my son follows suit," Syleena swoons. There's no denying that Syleena is passionately in love as she angelically sings "over and over again, in my dreams and in my head, I'm imagining you all in my future, us continuing through 'til we get older, and I swear that I've never met, a boy like you, a true soldier, my knight in shining armor, you saved me boy, you bring me joy and that's how I know it's true."
The buzz continues and the drama unfolds in Chapter 4: Labor Pains, as Syleena displays her songwriting and storytelling skills in "Shoo Fly," an alternative tale of baby mama drama. The story comes from the point of view of a woman with a man who has a baby mama and what that woman goes through when the baby mama wants him back all the while using the child as leverage. In the chorus Syleena sings, "so shoo fly he's mine, for the last time, don't make me say it no more, damn girl to move on, be gone, so long, get gone." This is a different angle giving the woman's perspective on baby mama drama. Other notable tracks on Chapter 4: Labor Pains are "Labor Pains," the title track which is dedicated to women and sisterhood, "My First," a grown and sexy song about a man who is the first to actually give good love and affection, and "Personal Trainer," a song about the mental stimulus of physical attraction.
While dealing with real issues, Syleena never strays away from God in her music. This signature approach is what makes her unique as she shows how God applies to every aspect of life. She tells the passionate, hard truth with a voice and spirit which has been anointed by God and speaks directly to the mind and spirit of women. "I always come from a spiritual view as a Christian woman in the real world, the here and now, the issues we as women have to deal with," Syleena testifies.
Chapter 1: Love, Pain, & Forgiveness, was the beginning of how God established a relationship and peace within Syleena. He then gave her the Garden of Eden in Chapter 2: The Voice. But she disobeyed Him and ate the forbidden fruit in Chapter 3: The Flesh. Now Syleena must pay the price, which is Chapter 4: Labor Pains. Biblically, labor pains are a woman's curse, but Syleena takes it all as a blessing. "At the end, I want people to feel uplifted and motivated, that's my goal. Not to just motivate people, but myself in the process," Syleena professes. Be prepared for the experience of Chapter 4: Labor Pains.
Despite releasing four albums, Syleena is more than a singer. She caught the acting bug and showed off her multi-dimensional talent by playing a significant role in Eric Jerome Dickey's Cheater's-The Stage Play in 2005. She also added modeling to her many talents as she modeled for Ashley Stewart after signing with Wilhelmina modeling agency as a plus-size model.
Johnson released her new album, "Chapter 5: Underrated" on September 27, 2011, which features Toxic (the producer behind Keyshia Cole & Monica's "Trust", as well as much of Twista's work number) and a number of other high-profile producers and artists. The albums' lead single titled "A Boss" was released on June 21, 2011.
Freedom
Syleena Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or what color you happened to be
As long as you're live and breathing
This is got to be one of journey
Hey, as a young girl I had my heart set on many big dreams
Then I grew up and found the world ain't nothing what it seems
Hey, then the tears came down the face of my reality, yeah
And if I ruled the world
(I would give love to all the woman and children)
I would break free every mind
(And I would supply all the dollars to feed them)
There would be peace and love on Earth
(There'd be no war, peace study no more)
Soldiers be free to make the choice
(To live or die so I'd free them the voice)
All I want is freedom
(From all the stress, the test, the mess, the lies of your enemies)
All I want is freedom
(Freedom to fight for everything that you believe)
Freedom
(Freedom to say what you think, free from the prejudice that changes all)
All I want is freedom
(You have to have it, where would you be without your freedom)
And no matter, if you're from the hood or from the hills of Beverly
Soil of America, from the far place overseas
Black, yellow or white, straight, gay or somewhere in between
We all want a one nation under God that's free
And if I ruled the world
(I would give love to all the woman and children)
I would break free every mind
(And I would supply all the dollars to feed them)
There would be peace and love on Earth
(There'd be no war, peace study no more)
Soldiers be free to make the choice
(To live or die so I'd free them the voice)
All we need our freedom
(From all the stress, the test, the mess, the lies of your enemies)
All we need our freedom
(Freedom to fight for everything that you believe)
All we want Freedom
(Freedom to say what you think, free from the prejudice that changes all)
All I want is freedom
(You have to have it, where would you be without your freedom)
Every man, woman and child deserves the right to be free
One nation under God living just for all
(We want our freedom)
As it makes no difference who you are
(We want our freedom)
Or what color you happened to be
(We want our freedom)
As long as you're live and breathing
(Sing daddy)
This is got to be one of journey
All I want is my freedom
(From all the stress, the test, the mess, the lies of your enemies)
All I want is freedom
(Freedom to fight for everything that you believe)
Freedom
(Freedom to say what you think, free from the prejudice that changes all)
All I want is freedom
(You have to have it, where would you be without your freedom)
Syleena Johnson's song "Freedom" revolves around the universal desire for liberation. The opening lyrics of the song suggest that it does not matter who you are, what color you are or where you come from, what matters is that every human being deserves the right to be free. Throughout the song, Johnson shares her own experiences of growing up with big dreams only to discover that the world is not always what it seems. She also acknowledges the struggles she has faced and witnessed others face such as prejudice, stress, and lies from one's enemies.
Line by Line Meaning
It makes no difference who you are
People should be treated equally regardless of their identity.
Or what color you happened to be
Racial identity should not factor into how people are treated.
As long as you're live and breathing
All humans should have the right to live and be free.
This is got to be one of journey
The pursuit of freedom is a lifelong journey.
Hey, as a young girl I had my heart set on many big dreams
As a child, the artist had many aspirations.
Then I grew up and found the world ain't nothing what it seems
As the singer grew up, they discovered that reality is not always aligned with their dreams.
Hey, then the tears came down the face of my reality, yeah
The harsh realities of the world brought the singer to tears.
When I realized how mean and rude this world can be
The artist learned that the world can be cruel and unkind.
And if I ruled the world
The artist imagines what they would do if given the opportunity to lead.
(I would give love to all the woman and children)
They would prioritize the well-being and safety of women and children.
I would break free every mind
They would want people's minds to be free from oppression and prejudice.
(And I would supply all the dollars to feed them)
They would ensure that people have access to food and resources.
There would be peace and love on Earth
Under the singer's rule, there would be no wars and people would treat each other with kindness.
(There'd be no war, peace study no more)
They would prioritize peace and education rather than violence and conflict.
Soldiers be free to make the choice
They would give soldiers the freedom to choose whether they want to fight or not.
(To live or die so I'd free them the voice)
Soldiers would have a say in their own fate.
All I want is freedom
The artist desires freedom from oppression and restrictions.
(From all the stress, the test, the mess, the lies of your enemies)
They want to be free from the negative influence of others.
(Freedom to fight for everything that you believe)
They want the right to stand up for their beliefs without fear of retaliation.
Freedom
The artist emphasizes their desire for freedom.
(Freedom to say what you think, free from the prejudice that changes all)
They want the freedom of speech without prejudice affecting the message.
(You have to have it, where would you be without your freedom)
Freedom is crucial to the artist's well-being and quality of life.
And no matter, if you're from the hood or from the hills of Beverly
Regardless of someone's background or status, they should be entitled to freedom.
Soil of America, from the far place overseas
The desire for freedom extends to all people, whether they are from America or abroad.
Black, yellow or white, straight, gay or somewhere in between
People of all races and sexual orientations are entitled to freedom.
We all want a one nation under God that's free
The singer believes that unity under freedom is important for all people.
All we need our freedom
Freedom is important for all people.
(From all the stress, the test, the mess, the lies of your enemies)
They want to be free from the negative influence of others.
(Freedom to fight for everything that you believe)
They want the right to stand up for their beliefs without fear of retaliation.
All we want Freedom
The singer emphasizes the importance of freedom.
(Freedom to say what you think, free from the prejudice that changes all)
They want the freedom of speech without prejudice affecting the message.
(You have to have it, where would you be without your freedom)
Freedom is crucial to the artist's well-being and quality of life.
Every man, woman and child deserves the right to be free
Everyone should be entitled to freedom.
One nation under God living just for all
The artist believes in a united, fair society.
(We want our freedom)
The singer emphasizes the importance of freedom.
(Sing daddy)
The artist adds a personal touch to the song.
All I want is my freedom
The singer emphasizes their personal desire for freedom.
(From all the stress, the test, the mess, the lies of your enemies)
They want to be free from the negative influence of others.
(Freedom to fight for everything that you believe)
They want the right to stand up for their beliefs without fear of retaliation.
Freedom
The artist emphasizes the importance of freedom.
(Freedom to say what you think, free from the prejudice that changes all)
They want the freedom of speech without prejudice affecting the message.
(You have to have it, where would you be without your freedom)
Freedom is crucial to the singer's well-being and quality of life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JULIAN EMERY, JASON KEITH PERRY, MATTHEW CAHILL, JOE BRIAN CONABOY, J J THOMPSON, JOSHUA SYRUS ZARE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DeShawn Bethel
I LOVE AND HAVE THIS CD! I HOPE SHE COMES TO LOUISVILE, KY! I'M IN A WHEELCHAIR NOW AND CAN'T REALLY CAN'T TRAVEL! BUT I PROBABLY NO EVERY WORD TO EVERY SONG! "I bet you even wish you could sing!", IS A CLASSIC LYRIC!!!
ALIENSHADZ 13
This beat is PAIN !
mangoemadness
this song is different but yet powerful!!!!! syleena your voice is amazing you are truly God blessed
Syleena Johnson
Thank you for the comments! Please support and get my new album Chapter 4: Labor Pains in stores and online!
bjudah1
pure class!!
MrStyle23
Old Chicago Soul (Syl Johnson) meets new Chicago Soul (Syleena Johnson)
thee7thson
dope dope dope!
Tiffany carroll
she said she will give love to all the unwanted children love her
ALIENSHADZ 13
How do i find the instrumental to this?
Triniti Jones
Good song