Diamond

Album: Road To Rome (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Sarah Potenza, a semi-finalist on Season 8 of The Voice, gave Rock 'N' Load the backstory on this powerful country-blues anthem: "From my earliest crushes through my bachelorette years, the pattern was always the same. The boys would laugh at all my jokes, be in awe of my talents, and then ask me if my quiet, more submissive girlfriend would go out with them. I spent a lot of time feeling ashamed of who I was. I tried so hard to crack the code. Tried to be smaller in every way, but I just couldn't squeeze myself into the glass slipper. Today I am grateful to have failed, because I wanted things that they could never give to me. Diamond is an open letter to a fourteen-year-old Sarah. I want to tell her not to cry over those boys. I want to reach all the little Sarah's out there and tell them, 'Girl, just wait. Your turn is coming. You're a diamond.'"
  • The music video features Pretty Big Movement, a plus-size dance troupe founded by Akira Armstrong, who appeared in clips for Beyonce's "Greenlight" and "Get Me Bodied."

    Potenza, who appears in the video rocking a pink tutu and a midriff tee, told Rock 'N' Load: "To cast dancers for 'Diamond,' I had to consider more than just the music or the look. Could the dancers live my lyrics? Could they pull from their own lives and say, 'Oh that line, I feel that so deeply that I want to express it"? That is what's at the center of my art. So casting women who had these experiences and the emotional capacity to express them was a big priority for me.

    I first heard about Pretty Big Movement through a video that came across my Facebook feed in 2017. Akira's look and dance moves caught my eye, but it was her story that caught my attention. She had danced in two Beyonce videos, and still couldn't get an agent, because of her size. I knew that feeling all too well. I was in awe of what she did next. Akira started her very own dance troupe, Pretty Big Movement, which has since been featured all over the world.

    So of course producing the 'Diamond' music video, I decided I was gonna toss the song her way and see if it resonated with her. Within the hour we were on the phone laughing and chatting about our similar spirit and experiences as full figured gals of the entertainment industry. After that conversation I was sold on the idea that Pretty Big Movement was the perfect choice."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Colin Hay

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce PavittSong Writing

The man who ran Nirvana's first label gets beyond the sensationalism (drugs, Courtney) to discuss their musical and cultural triumphs in the years before Nevermind.

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song Spoofs

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song SpoofsSong Writing

When singers started spoofing their own songs on Sesame Street, the results were both educational and hilarious - here are the best of them.

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & FireSongwriter Interviews

The longtime bassist of Earth, Wind & Fire discusses how his band came to do a holiday album, and offers insight into some of the greatest dance/soul tunes of all-time.

Def Leppard Quiz

Def Leppard QuizMusic Quiz

Can you name Def Leppard's only #1 hit in America? Get rocked with this adrenalized quiz.

Scott Stapp

Scott StappSongwriter Interviews

The Creed lead singer reveals the "ego and self-fulfillment" he now sees in one of the band's biggest hits.