Suspense chronicles abuse in ‘Escape’ - 2017 Magnum Queen says this is the one
Published:Monday | November 2, 2020 | 12:10 AMShereita Grizzle/Staff Reporter
Since winning the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall title in 2017, Shanekia ‘Suspense’ Morrison has been seeking to find her footing in the industry. Having turned over her life to Christ shortly after winning the competition, the entertainer dabbled in the gospel arena until last year when she reverted to dancehall. Today, the entertainer is hoping she has found the track that will prove her a force to reckon with in the highly competitive music space. Still, more than the desire to set herself apart, Suspense wants to use the track to encourage women who have suffered or are suffering from domestic abuse.
In a recent interview with The Gleaner, Suspense expressed that the track Escape is special in more ways than one. She revealed that having been through a toxic relationship that resulted in years of abuse, she wrote from a personal space and wants to use the track to encourage women to not only speak up about abuse, but muster up the courage to leave their abusers.
“I experienced abuse first-hand. I was physically and verbally abused, and although the track doesn’t necessarily highlight everything that I’ve endured, it does talk about me remaining in that situation for years simply because of fear,” she said. “I am in a better place now but it took a while before I found the courage to free myself, and so this track was created to encourage and inspire victims of abuse. I want them to know that there is hope and that they have the power to walk away from unhealthy relationships. I also know several persons who were/are in that situation, some even lost their lives and it hurts me every time I think about it.”
Escape and the accompanying music video were released on October 9. The entertainer said that so far, the reaction to the track has been positive. But more than the attention it receives, Suspense wants the song to foster real change. “What I want more than anything else is for the track to inspire at least one woman to get the help she needs to free herself from an abusive situation,” she said, pointing out that she has always wanted to join the ‘no violence against women’ campaign. “There were several campaigns on social media in recent times that stood against violence and reinforced to our society that violence, including domestic violence, is unacceptable. My ultimate goal is to help women, point them in the direction they need to go to walk away from their abusers.”
Suspense shared with The Gleaner that she has been actively seeking out ways to form her own foundation, ‘The Escape Foundation’, and plans to do a lot more than just singing about the issue. “My platform grants me the opportunity to advocate for abused persons and I intend to use it to do just that. The plan is to partner with other organisations that are advocating against abuse until I can be the face of my own foundation. And when that does come to life, I will be speaking on issues that are important to me as a musician and a budding philanthropist.”
And Suspense doesn’t just want to help victims of abuse, she also wants to help abusers. She told The Gleaner that if she were a policymaker, she would initiate a form of punishment that would focus more heavily on rehabilitation. She says she believes no amount of punishment can bring about the change that needs to happen. “I believe that the penalty should aim at rehabilitation. I am not familiar with the legal penalties but I think that would be the way to go if we want to satisfactorily remedy the situation.”