Originally Published on March 31st, 2026

The world can be deceiving. The powerful elite are some of the weakest people who have ever existed. They just hide behind a fortress of generational wealth, concerning themselves only with hoarding more wealth and resources than they will ever need or use in theirs or their families’ lifetimes. They have managed to build their little personal empires, not by ethical or honorable deeds, but by waging war with everyone else. Not war with them, but they actually pit everyone against each other. Race wars, sex/gender wars, sexual orientation wars, border wars, class wars, and more are used to distract.

This is nothing new for women. Women have been suppressed as the “weaker species” from the very beginning. It wasn’t until the 20th century in America, that women began to make progress in this battle, by winning the right to vote, establishing a rightful place in the workforce, the ruling of Roe v. Wade, which gave women anatomic rights over their own bodies, and much more. As we rolled into the 21st century, the momentum initially continued as we saw wage gaps being eliminated, more and more women being elected to state and national congress, restrictions lifted regarding military service, and the inspiring #metoo movement, which saw the dismantling of patriarchy in Hollywood and redrew the lines with regard to the war against sexual violence against women.

However, we can always count on small men hiding behind their green fortresses to use financial resource to dismantle progress. The dismantling of Roe v. Wade and now the looming dangers of the Save Act festering, there has been an abrupt halt in progress and a real danger of regression.

Around the world, this impact is felt in varying ways, as one culture after another feels more or less compelled to fight back against the progress of gender/sex equality.

This is where the true power of feminism can be witnessed. The more the patriarchal establishments try to convince the rest of us that women are secondary, the more the feminist movement, gains strength and reveals her warriors.

Dareen, a Polish, Lebanese, and Gambian independent singer and songwriter, is establishing herself as one of those warriors. Using her rich, multicultural background, she blends genres to establish an authentic sound that exists in a place of R&B, pop/alt pop, and dreamscape/symphonic, electronic music.

I first came across Dareen’s music a few months ago, when she released her single, Power, and have been attentively listening since.

201. Fifteen Minutes of Fame Spotlights: October 28th

I was instantly drawn to Dareen’s music because of how much of herself that was poured into it. Each song is culturally rich, and tells a variety of stories of the feminine spirit; the strength and power, the vulnerability, the sexuality, and more.

Every song gives her audience a different look and a different perspective to explore. When she announced the release of her debut album, I was intrigued by the potential that existed around her ability to tell a full story and what she would choose for her topic.

Goddess

The answer is, all of it. Instead of opting to tell a specific story of femininity, she went for the general meaning of feminism to her. Her heritage, her culture, her strength, her vulnerability, all of it.

Goddess released on Bandcamp on March 6th and on all other streaming platforms on March 20th, 2026. It is 9 songs and runs at 31 minutes. It was produced by Nicole Gisbourne and released through the indie label, Cosmic Alignment Sounds. It features previously released singles, including Power and Am I Broken, which features a collaborative performance by AiramFM.

Goddess opens with strength in its title track. The thing I love so much about Goddess is it feels like a summoning device for women, while also saying the line “I’m not a witch, I’m a goddess.” Immediately she targets the inflamed ego of the patriarchy letting them know she is “reading their minds like a book.”

The song transitions perfectly into Power, which exhibits that same strength and empowering theme. The slow groove with the breathy vocals layering over the synth pop percussive track is about as smooth as one can get musically. Dareen seduces her audience, not with yelling or aggression, but with her conviction.

Vocally, she sounds similar to Lana Del Ray. Instrumentally, she performs in front of synth heavy progressions that are rich in reverb, ambience, and have a real fantasy pop vibe.

I am particularly drawn to the content and the motivation behind it. Dareen really illustrates everything that encompasses her femininity and takes her audience with her as she unpacks every layer and level, one song at a time.

Cleopatra is a noteworthy song on this record. The lyrics are cleverly crafted, the beat is addictive and pulsating, and the minimalist approach on the production really explores the limits and boundaries of each track.

~ Final Thoughts ~

As a white man from America, I will admit that we have a (bad) habit of inserting our opinions, especially where they don’t belong. Translation: I understand the irony of me being me and talking about how important I think the context and content of this album is. The truth is, I do think we should be shutting our mouths and listening to artists like Dareen more.

However, I do think the content of this album is important. I do think the context in which Dareen examines her femininity is wonderful. I think she is a very talented and capable musician with a very seductive quality to her voice. I think she sings with conviction and she performs with her entire body.

I also think I know when it’s time to shut up and let her do the talking, or singing. In fact, I’m going to do that.

Go press play.