Our Play Irish Artist of the Week on Beat Breakfast is Irish Women in Harmony with their new single 'Only A Woman'.
Having just celebrated the first anniversary of the release of the record-breaking ‘Dreams’, Irish Women In Harmony return with their first new music release of the year. With the success of ‘Dreams’ - 3.5 million video views, 5.6 million streams and over 8,000 plays on Irish radio - still resonating with fans and media alike, the timing of the return of Irish Women In Harmony feels right.
RuthAnne Cunningham explained “I got the idea for this new track from the public reaction to ‘Dreams’, when people said the Irish Women In Harmony collective reminded them of ‘A Woman’s Heart’. So our new single ‘Only A Woman’ is about what it is to be a woman today. And what better way to celebrate that than to feature the chorus of the iconic Irish song ‘Only A Woman’s Heart’ written by Eleanor McEvoy. We’ve added our own original spin on it with beautifully written spoken-word verses by FeliSpeaks, with vocal features by our own Aimee, Erica Cody, and myself, plus a vocal cameo by Eleanor McEvoy herself. We hope the song connects and inspires and empowers a new age of womanhood for all.”
Originally released in 1992, ‘Only A Woman’s Heart’ - sung by Mary Black and Eleanor McEvoy - was the cornerstone of the multi-platinum ‘A Woman’s Heart’ compilation, one of the best selling Irish albums of all time. The new version marks the recorded debut of fast-rising Nigerian-Irish poet, performer and playwright Felicia Olusanya, better known as FeliSpeaks. Originally from Co. Longford, now based in Maynooth; FeliSpeaks timely, lyrically observed verses are punctuated with soaring, heartfelt choruses from IWIH mainstays Aimee, Erica Cody and RuthAnne herself. Closing the circle is a haunting vocal introduction from Eleanor McEvoy.
