Singer Sonja reveals journey of overcoming drug addiction in tracks from the album ‘Rainha de Copas’

From the deepest of her transformations, the singer Sonja revealed personal experiences ranging from abusive relationships to reconnection with spirituality in the new album “Rainha de Copas”, released in August this year. A success on digital platforms, the singer reveals, among the different types of abusive relationships that are not limited to people, the story behind the tracks “Fé” and “Down By The Water”, which talk about the abuse of chemical substances and alcohol , and the path back to overcoming.

“Every day I wake up and renew my purpose. It’s a daily choice. I don’t want to go back to where I was. Remembering what drugs took away from me, how much I hurt myself and others, keeps me clean. I have my faith, my girlfriend, my family, which are extremely important. I have me and my voice and I hope to help other people with these songs.”he said.

With a lot of faith

“Queen of Cups” is entirely inspired by personal experiences and tarot cards. Overflowing faith into art, one of the album’s main tracks is “Fé”, which talks openly about overcoming alcohol abuse.

“I had several failed attempts to stop. Nothing worked out because it wasn’t what I really wanted, and it needed to be a decision and I didn’t feel ready for it, after all, I only knew how to live like this”, he spoke.

And like the name of the song, the singer claims that faith helped her even before she had it. “It was without me believing her yet. Having faith is a process. I believed in myself for a second and that second of courage saved my life!” remembered.

She also highlighted that she received support from a help group that made her believe she could spend at least 24 hours sober. “And it has been like that for 4 years, thanks to the faith that I learned to have in myself in this way”, commented.

Through the waters of the waterfall

The only song on the album in English, “Down By The Water” speaks of the real moment of liberation. A spiritual and physical experience that almost led to the singer’s death inspired the song. “What could have been a tragedy was in fact a gift, my prayers answered by Oxum”, said.

“After praying on a stormy day at a waterfall with my friends, I was swept away by a current. On this tour, I saw my entire journey from the beginning of drug use to my decision to begin recovery. It was as if I were seeing big screens around me showing moments from my life, related to my addiction.”, he said.

The near-tragedy ended in a hole in the waterfall and the help of a friend: “It’s as if God said ‘have faith, hold my hand and I’ll help you out’”.

Damage and the search for self-knowledge

After almost losing her voice due to drug use, the singer says that this was one of the biggest impacts she suffered. “My voice is one of the most important things I have. If I lose her, I lose everything and I had to treat her for two years. So remembering all of this helps keep me grounded. Some days are easier, other days are more difficult. But I continue to try to recover the best way I can.”, commented.

Furthermore, Sonja highlighted the lack of self-knowledge that drugs caused. “The drug magically solved all the problems I had with myself and others without me actually having to deal with them. But the bill arrives and there’s no magic”he stated.

Now sober, she said she was going through a process of getting to know her real tastes and desires. “Have respect for myself and others. My intuition came to the fore a lot, and so did my connection with my spirituality. The way I see life, how I react to it, has changed. Every day I learn a little.”he said.

Giving a hand to others

With the purpose of helping other people, the artist even stated that this is the secret: asking for help. “My recovery began with this attitude”, he said. But not everything is easy and the struggle for sobriety is daily. For Sonja, recovery was only possible with a support group and both having faith and choosing not to use drugs became a decision made several times throughout the same day.

“Seek help. It seems not, but it is possible to stop. Find a helpline and call. Addiction, alcoholism, has no cure, but it can be treated. Don’t give up on yourself, ask for help. I hope this work can help a lot of people,” finished.