Kierra Sheard – I Owe You

By Nadine Halstead

You remember that old saying “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”? This is certainly the case in the highly anticipated debut project from Kierra “Kiki” Sheard, I Owe You. Kierra comes from a legacy of singers in her family: her mother, Karen; her aunts Twinkie, Dorinda, Jacky and Denise; second cousin, J. Moss and her legendary grandmother, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. There is probably a lot of pressure for Kiki to live up to the Clark family standards when it comes to singing… but she has nothing to worry about because she can hold her own and then some.

I Owe You is short but sweet, containing track after track of strong songs. Rodney “Dark Child” Jerkins wrote and produced the first radio release titled You Don’t Know. With its hard hitting beat, this was definitely one of the jams of the summer. This song is a testament to what Kiki has been through. It talks about the trials in her life, the trial her mother went through, letting the listener know that what God has done for her, He can do the same thing for them, too.

Church Nite is a fun, bouncy tune produced by PAJAM (the production team of Paul Allen and J. Moss) that outlines the busy schedule some people at church have to endure. If you want to catch up with Kiki, you’re gonna have to catch her at church where she’ll be getting her praise on. On the praise party track Closer, Kiki asks for a closer walk with Jesus. She really demonstrates her vocal abilities on this song and there is no denying that she has the Clark blood running through her veins. You’ll be asking for a closer walk with God too as you dance away on this track.

Kierra’s vocals continue to rip and roar on the ballad Praise Offering. The intensity of her praise is felt as she sings with all her might towards the ending of the song. Kierra keeps it all in the family on the song War. Younger brother Drew Sheard co-wrote War with Kierra. They get ready to fight and tear the enemy’s kingdom down through song and declare that the devil is a liar.

A softer side of Kierra is featured on All I Am, a smooth, simple interlude that lets the listener know that she is just a nobody telling somebody about Him. This song is so mellow and chill… it’s just a shame that it’s shy of being three minutes long. In the midst all of the R&B flavored tunes, you will find a more traditional-sounding song. For those who like quartet-style music, this song is for you. The Warryn Campbell-produced track, Done Did It, is a hand clapping, foot-stomping tune that deserves repeat status in your CD player. When one thinks of Warryn Campbell, one would automatically think of R&B. What you may not know is that Warryn actually has a quartet group of his own called The Soul Seekers, so he is well versed in the quartet style. Kierra is truly a young girl with an old soul as she wails towards the ending of the song.

Tonéx and his production team, Nureau Ink, produce the bonus track on the CD, Snap. As the opening line of the song says: “Kierra Sheard, Tonéx … that’s a lethal combination” - that statement couldn’t be more correct. You can hear Tonéx’s touches all over this tune in conjunction with Kierra’s runs. This song is definitely a different flavor from the rest of the CD.

The world first heard Kierra when she sang The Will of God with her mother Karen on Karen’s Finally Karen project. Then everyone got another taste when she was featured on her aunt Dorinda’s DVD on the song You Can’t Hurry God. Now everyone else gets to hear what many gospel industry insiders already know… this girl can sing. With some of the industry’s best producers working with her and her family supporting her all the way, Kierra Sheard has an excellent debut project on her hands. I Owe You is sure to be the first of many, many more recordings to come.