GENRE; Disco/ Latin Rock/ Jazz/ Political Hip-Hop/ R&B
RELEASE DATE; 27 February, 2026
RATING; 4/5
More than four decades after it was first written, “If A Woman Had Made The World” arrives in 2026 as a fully realized vision from Chris Oledude. What began in 1983 as a tribute to his mother, Ethel Werfel Owens, has evolved into a sweeping, intergenerational statement that also honors his late wife, Sandra Dixon. The song’s central question feels especially urgent today, challenging long-held assumptions about power, progress, and who truly shapes civilization. One of the song’s moving moments comes when Williams steps forward and delivers the quietly powerful lines “If a woman had made the world, nations would be sane, Peace and harmony as guides, sympathy and trust would reign.” the lyric becomes the emotional centerpiece of the track, distilling its message into a vision of leadership shaped by compassion instead of conflict.
The new arrangement gives the song room to breathe. Where the original 8-track version had a raw, homespun quality, this production is fuller and more confident. Williams’ voice adds strength and dimension, turning the song’s central question into a shared declaration. The chemistry between the two singers makes the message land harder, especially in the chorus, which feels built for collective voices rather than a single perspective.
Oledude’s influences are easy to trace. There are shades of Ella Fitzgerald in the phrasing, a touch of Lou Rawls in the warmth, and the fluidity of Al Jarreau in the vocal runs. Yet the performance never slips into imitation. Instead, it feels rooted in lived experience. Even the returning guitar solo adds character, unpolished in spirit but emotionally precise.
Having once been encouraged by Pete Seeger to continue writing songs that speak to justice, Oledude clearly hasn’t abandoned that path. “If A Woman Had Made The World” doesn’t shout. It asks. It reflects. And in doing so, it leaves listeners with a simple but powerful thought: maybe the future depends on whose voices we choose to value now.
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