Strike A Pose! - Shuga tackles beauty standards in newest single

In 2019, singer and songwriter Shuga launched her Femme Phenomenal foundation which supports women and girls who have experienced abuse.

Though the organisation's activities were hampered during the pandemic, she still continued her advocacy through music. Now her newest single Strike A Pose is tackling how social media is holding women to unnatural beauty standards.

"The song represents for the natural women because when you go into the dancehall space, it is all about the 'dolly' dem and the 'chromazz' dem, the silicone breast and the BBL [Brazilian butt lift] body. But natural women are also in the spaces. However, no song nuh out there weh a represent them. Like when Buju Banton made Browning, he went back and made Love Black Women on the same rhythm because is not only brown women out there, you have black women too and both want to feel respected," she told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Strike A Pose is under Penthouse Records' promotion on the 'Media Dolly' rhythm. Shuga won the Digicel Rising Stars title in 2009, and since then has been making her way in the business with reggae tunes such as Ebony and Dear Mr Government. Often using her talent for social commentary, she said Strike A Pose is also for her.

"When you enter the social media space, it is a little bit tricky with trends and it plays with the psyche. If you don't know what you doing, you turn fool on social media. You want to trend too. And when we think about a young girl coming up now in this type of society, everything that she sees trending makes her feel like 'Okay, I want to do this. But in order to, I have try these things to reach dere so'. So you really have to be strong and not everyone will have the kind of strength," she explained.

Shuga, whose given name is Mitsy Campbell, said that she is currently learning to balance music and motherhood, and while the journey has not been easy, it has been rewarding. This year, she plans to release an album and disclosed that it is in its final stages. For now, she is continuing to promote Strike A Pose and its message, even employing social media through the creation of the Strike a Pose Instagram challenge. Resolute in her belief that it is still okay to be natural, she opined that people have the right to choose what they do with their bodies, but should not make the choices because of societal influences.

"Everybody wants big numbers and it matters not what they have to do to get it. So girls with BBL body a trend now and it matters not that they are costly and it is not safe. Of course, it is your body so it really is your choice, always. But me still a seh this, for those who don't succumb to peer pressure, this is for them. I know people will also say so what about false hair and make-up and all that? But make-up can wash off and hair can tek out," she said.