Stephanie Shonekan and her daughter, Ojurere, encountered the song “Emotion” by different artists, at different times. The Bee Gees originally wrote “Emotion” for Samantha Sang in 1977, but the group released its own version of the song in 1994, the version that Stephanie first remembers. Ojurere’s introduction to “Emotion” came from Destiny’s Child cover of it in 2001.
Yet, the song’s journey from disco to R&B didn’t change its universal appeal; almost anyone can resonate with how it feels to let go of a meaningful relationship. When Destiny’s Child interpreted the song, they added an important layer to the conversation surrounding grief: what it can look like for Black women to take the space to be emotionally vulnerable.
In this episode, Stephanie and Ojurere go toe to toe to choose their winning version of the song. But they also reflect on the grief they’ve recently experienced together.
“So much of the stories of ‘Black women in love’ we see is heartbreak. A lot of the time, it's capitalizing on their pain. Maybe that's what sells, but I feel like the song definitely illustrates the things that happen for real, you know what I mean? It's honest.” -- Ojurere Shonekan
This is a show about the music we love. But the conversations uncover intimate stories about our own personal connections with the songs. Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan reconnects us with great music and the diverse perspectives, histories, and identities of the artists and the fans who enjoy that music.
Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan is produced by Katelynn McIlwain, Janet Saidi, Ryan Famuliner, Aaron Hay, Nat Kuhn and Stephanie Shonekan. This season was edited by Aaron Hay and Ryan Famuliner.
This podcast is a collaboration between KBIA and Vox Magazine, with funding from the University of Maryland College of Arts and Humanities and the Missouri School of Journalism.
You can follow the podcast and other special projects on Twitter at @VoxMag, and @KBIA, and on Instagram at @voxmagazine and @kbianews.
“Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan” Season 1 was produced by Janet Saidi, Kristofor Husted, Fernando Narro, Rehman Tungekar, and Ryan Famuliner, with host and producer Stephanie Shonekan. Season 1 was edited by Rehman Tungekar and Ryan Famuliner.
