Sharon Watkins releases heartfelt pop ballad ‘Proud’ on Friday 28th of January 2022 ahead of a full-length album. The Nottingham-based singer-songwriter shows that it's never too late to follow your dreams and define your passion after developing her indie-pop tracks over eight years and winning the UK Northern Songwriters Competition.

Sharon grew up in Manchester surrounded by music and started writing songs with her brother when she was a teenager at an out-of-tune piano. Later in life, following a difficult period, Sharon decided to take a recovery trip to Paris with her sibling, after having written songs together for years without ever sharing them, they made a pact on the trip to record an album. Lo and behold, only months later Sharon lost her job of many years in the corporate world, giving her all the time she could ever need to focus on her music. Thus, the idea for the full-length album ‘Secrets And Lies’ was born; “Think of how many people out there have an instrument, amazing book, idea or song that is sat on the shelf because they’ve been told they’re too young, too old, not quite right for "that industry" Sharon states as she hopes to prove that age is merely a number.

The lead single ‘Proud’ features a journey from heartbreak to recovery, from a dark place at the start of the song to light and inspiring ending, moving on from betrayal in a graceful way as opposed to dwelling on revenge and remorse. This somewhat reflects Sharon's elevated approach to writing as the track features intelligent melodic flurries and creative chord changes. The powerful track comes with a well-polished video which perfectly sums up the song's message.

With some huge collaborators on the upcoming album including Bryan Corbett (Brand New Heavies), “Bebee” Aldridge (Gary Barlow & Macklemore), and Sammy J Stopford (Abbey Road Studios, Glastonbury Festival, BBC Radio 1), it’s clear Sharon Watkins’ latest release is sure to make waves within the genre.

Sharon claims “Something that is very important to me is staying true to myself, not letting adversity or other people’s actions change who I am" and it’s with these core values and her inspiring and relatable story that Sharon Watkins’ single ‘Proud’ gives her audience a tantalising first taste of the material she has to come. Be sure to follow her socials for more information about this and future releases.