On the Road With Naomi Sharon: Singing, Sephora & Surfing
Naomi Sharon is looking for the nearest Sephora in New York City. She also needs to find a nail tech before she takes the Radio City Music Hall stage for a show the following day.
Sharon, who signed to Drake’s OVO Sound label in early 2023, is on the road as part of Tems’ Born in the Wild Tour, and trekked directly from Philadelphia to the Midtown Manhattan Billboard offices earlier in September.
The 29-year-old Dutch singer stuns in a black floor-length bodycon dress matching her carefully curated midnight aesthetic. Sharon steals the attention of any room — and that’s even before hearing her ethereal vocals.
Combining the worlds of dreamy R&B and ambient house, Sharon impressed with her dreamy Obsidian debut album, which earned her a spot on Billboard‘s 2024 Hip-Hop & R&B Artists to Watch list. The romantic tug of war found her opening up about the trials and tribulations of love throughout the stirring and vulnerable 13-track LP.
Now she’s turning the page to her sophomore album — and Sharon is excited about what’s to come musically before 2024 expires.
“I don’t want to say too much, but there is a lot of beautiful stuff coming this year. I’m very excited about it,” she teases to Billboard. “When I listen to Obsidian and the songs I have now, there’s some more maturity in it. It’s a nice shift. Hell yeah, the Obsidian project is here and we need to [elevate] now.”
Check out the rest of our chat with Naomi Sharon below, which finds her delving into her conversations with Drake, new music, touring with Tems and much more about her travels on the road.
How has the tour been?
Very exciting. It’s very nice to meet a new audience. It’s good to perform for a larger audience as well. I love it. The bigger the better. It’s a different energy. When I did my tour, people were familiar with me. Now some people are and some people are not. Which is also nice because sometimes you see them react to you. It’s fun to be on the road. I have a very nice team I do it with and we’re all Dutch.
How has it been winning over audiences? It can be a different experience as an opener.
It truly is. As an artist, you have an ego. I do have an ego as well. But I still want to challenge myself so I see it more as something testing me to be a better artist. I’m really focused when I’m [performing] for a new audience because I gotta draw you in without forcing it. I received a lot of messages from people. I think it’s important to build a relationship with your audience. By reposting their [Instagram Stories] you’re kinda showing them a thank you. I’m not sure I can do that forever.
We do meet-and-greets after and some people come with stories. One time it made me cry. I was surprised by it. Some girl came to the show and her father was the one who put her on my music, but he passed away in the months leading up to the show. I felt very grateful but at the same time I was like, “That’s what music does to people.” That’s how I listen to music as well.
Where did you built your whole aesthetic from? I’m assuming this is very intentionally done.
It is very much intentionally done. I think it started at a very young age. I had a moment in time I wanted to be a designer. I was very much into fashion. I’m pursuing that. It’s important to dress however you want to dress, but as an artist I want to be visible. I think it’s fun to dress. As an artist, you kinda have an excuse to be extra. The latex kinda represents obsidian. The black, maybe I’m a little gothic.
How did you connect with DJ Snake turning “Myrrh” into his own rendition of “Goodbyes?”
I know DJ Snake but I’ve never been in contact with him. I think it kinda came through the label. He liked it and said, “Let me do something to it.” When I heard it, it’s funny to distance yourself from the original song. I liked it and it grew on me. I was like, “Yeah, let’s do this for sure.”
What’s inspiring you creatively? Who are you listening to?
Life situations in general. That’s the most beautiful part about writing lyrics for me. Sometimes I’m like, “What’s next?” But there’s always something. That’s what I’m writing about. Sometimes a place can inspire me. For instance, I love Bali. It’s a place that sparks something because I’m at peace.
I listen to Sting. That’s something that never changes. I listen to a lot of old school music. New school, I love Yebba. I think she deserves her flowers. Feels stupid to say this, but I also listen to Drake.
Do you have a favorite Drake record?
One of my favorite albums is Honestly, Nevermind. I think that’s the European in me. I don’t think other people understood the assignment when it came out in the U.S. A lot of people aren’t used to that type of music. People were [comparing] it to Love Island. That’s our stuff in Europe. I love that album. I think it’s beautifully done. One song not from the album is “Passionfruit.” I think that’s one of his best songs.
I love seeing other artists show you love in your comments, like SZA or Snoh Aalegra.
I’m pretty good with both. One I see and speak to and the other one is supporting. I just love that in general with women in the industry supporting each other. Some are not as keen as others to do that. I think it’s so good. You don’t have to be afraid. Everyone has her own lane and I believe nobody can steal your path.
What did you see as success for your debut album? Would you have done anything differently?
Being proud about my own project that’s a big accomplishment. As soon as you go on and move on from it, and you grow into a bigger artist, you listen to your fans a little bit more. Then maybe you start to make music for your audience a little bit. I always try to stay a little bit true to myself. I’m the one that needs to perform it. I’m the one who needs to deliver it.
You put your entire life into your debut album. Is it like, “Where do I go from here?”
It’s a taste thing as well. People would say that about me as well with the new songs. But it’s an ever-evolving thing, right? In years, I’ll look back at Obsidian — I have already with other songs — like, my voice is even different. Not that I’m not sounding like myself, but you know you can hear that someone’s going through something. It’s a little lower, a little higher. When I listen to Obsidian and the songs I have now, there’s some more maturity in it. It’s a nice shift. Hell yeah, the Obsidian project is here and we need to [elevate] now.
Creatively, what’s next for you?
I don’t want to say too much, but there is a lot of beautiful stuff coming this year. I’m very excited about it.
How about potentially working with Tems since you guys are on tour?
I would love that. I think you don’t need to force anything. I think that will happen naturally. Of course, I’m on tour with her now, but I don’t feel the need to knock on her dressing room and be like, “Hey Tems, do you want to make a song right now?” That’s not gonna happen, but I do manifest it when I feel the timing is right. But I would love to.
How painful was your back tattoo? What was the inspiration behind it?
This was seven hours. Putting a tattoo on your body was kind of a thrill. This one was special because the artist is from Berlin and he’s doing this intuitively. So I was sitting in front of him and he goes with his pen first and he’s just drawing it on my back. After a few hours, I can look at it. I think it’s so beautiful. We had a conversation first and he takes a day per person to really sit with you and get to know you. He made this — seven hours, one break. It was painful. I think I have a pretty high pain tolerance. He showed me his work and was like, “What is your favorite?” Everything is very much his style and I had a few people coming up to me asking if it’s this artist. I love that. I want to have more from him. It’s a special person.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve seen about American culture since you’ve been traveling to all these cities on tour?
Now you’re touching the nerve. I’m always joking about this. I think in general American culture is very different from Dutch culture. One thing is so funny is you say, “Hi, how are you?” In one sentence and it actually means, “Hi.” It’s not a genuine question… That’s one thing I find funny. It refers to you guys being very open and happy to greet everyone. It has something beautiful as well. Dutch people in general are very down to earth. Too much sometimes. Whenever you go to a restaurant you kinda get ignored.
In comparison with Americans, it’s different. It’s not like, “Hi, how are you? I’m Steve and I’m gonna take care of your table today.” In Holland it’s like, “Hi. You have a table for two? It’s over there and I’ll walk you to it.” There’s no introductions. Dutch people are actually pretty straightforward and genuine. It depends where you go. I also know that native people from L.A. are different from transplants. People are straightforward in Holland and I think we come across as rude.
Have you picked up any hobbies on tour?
A couple went through my head. One hobby is going to Sweetgreen’s. I wanted to do horse riding in Texas and it didn’t happen. We wanted to go to the shooting range — didn’t happen. I do not support guns by the way, but it’s kinda nice to do it where you can do it. Those were the fantasy hobbies. The real hobbies are going to the gym three times a week and Sephora. I was just looking up where Sephora is. My phone said, “Visited yesterday.”
I feel like you’re always by some body of water. We see you surfing too. How about that?
How about that. I’ve been to Bali three times. The second time I was there for a month to do it properly. With surfing, you have to do it everyday. If not, twice a day. Last time I was there, I was like, “I’m gonna try it again. Not on a foam board, but a real board.” Then it happened and I was pretty good on it. I went to a spot where they take photos as well. They took it and was like, “This look good.”
Water is my element. I’m a pisces. I love water and think someone asked me that on my page about blue having a particular meaning. It’s just a color that calms me down. Sometimes I can be annoying about it because everything needs to be in the color range.
It was funny when you asked people to Photoshop the horizon clear out of your picture on Twitter.
I knew what I was doing. When that happened, it was funny and became a thing on Twitter. That went viral.
Are you aware when things go viral on Twitter and stuff? I see fan pages or music news accounts reposting.
Sometimes I’m like, “Oh, my followers are going up.” Then I’m like, “What’s going on?” And it kinda freaks me out.
Do you ever consider your brand and things outside of music overshadowing your [art]? Do you look at it as funneling more people toward your music?
That’s just who I am. That’s what I look like. I think almost every artist is doing that. It’s like a business card almost. That’s how I look at my Instagram. That’s why aesthetically it needs to be in place to welcome people in my world. That’s what you’re gonna get. Every photo that I post, I’m not someone that just posts photos.
You’re not gonna hit us with the Dua Lipa 20-slide vacation photo dump?
I can do that, but I’ll take my time. I think she does that as well. I don’t think she’s like, “Oh, I’m just gonna put this up.” You have your phone and you kinda select it. That’s just me and I think it’s fun with Instagram and TikTok and you can play back yourself instead of your label pushing certain photos or publishing things.
I was doing some searching Naomi Sharon on Twitter and a 2016 photo of you with The Lion King NL came up? I was like, “What is this?”
That’s not weird, dude. That’s my f–king job. That’s what I did in the past. I was a musical star. I was broadway — joking. I had a past life before this where I did musicals. I did Lion King then I did Tina Turner The Musical. Then I was like, “I’m gonna do this for myself.” During Lion King, I actually worked on my first song ever and I put it out. It kinda went uphill from that moment. When Tina Turner was going on, Drake hit me up. He was like, “I have a label. Would you [want to sign]?” I was like, “This is a clear sign for me to move on and to take the risk.”
Do you ever send Drake music?
Yeah, for sure.
How does that feedback work?
He’s one of the people that I send music to have an honest review on what it is. He has a funny brain that can pick things up well and make them popular. He’s a really good one for that. I send him stuff — and of course the man is busy, but whenever he replies to it I’m very grateful. I’m like, “This is something I can feel good about or something I need to work on a little bit more.” Of course, I have my own critique. It’s not that I take his critique and be like, “This is the answer.” But I take it very seriously. He’s just being honest and of course it’s nice when he says, “This is f–king great.”
Is there anything specific he gave a critique on that he was right about?
For sure — he gave me very good advice in the beginning, before the album. It was one of our first meetings ever. He was like… when he found me, he was intrigued by my music and the way that I did it. But he was like, “I can see you in different worlds that you can make your own. Why don’t you challenge yourself to go upbeat?” I made neo-soul the first few songs. He was like, “You can do that with your sound and with your world and cross over.” I actually was inspired by that, and that’s why Obsidian has some uptempo things.
You shied away from that typically?
Yeah — but when he said it, I was like, “I think he has a point.” Whenever a person like Drake says it, who’s been in the business for such a long time, you kinda maybe need to do something with it.
Eventually, are we gonna get the Naomi Sharon x Drake record?
Same thing with Tems, I don’t force things. We spoke about it, but it’s also whenever we feel it makes sense. I don’t think it’s gonna be a conversation. We’re both very sensitive people when it comes to hearing music. Whenever he hears something that will be great, then [we’ll do it]. That would be amazing.
What are your goals for the rest of the year?
I like scripting. I like to write things down as if they already happened. Funny enough, I did one a few days ago for 10 years. I think it’s good and I also have a list and it’s funny to go back and it’s funny I forget I have one. I’ll go back like, “Oh, I did this already.” A few years ago I had [Billboard] on the list. Things like this, when you start as an artist you kind of gravitate to, “This would be a good moment if I have an interview with this or that.” You see other artists doing it. I would love to win an award or even be nominated for it. Do a world tour. They’re kind of obvious. I dream big and I believe in that. Everything I’ve accomplished right now is because I did that.
Who else do you want to collaborate with?
We’ve talked about Tems, we talked about Drake. I would love to work with Snoh [Aalegra] as well. That’s because she has such a major voice and sound. Yebba as well. I love to work with female artists. [I] would love to work with Frank Ocean.
Michael Saponara
Billboard
