Meet Anna Sofia: Your Next Favorite Indie Artist
If you’re looking for your next favorite indie artist, then you’ve come to the right place. Anna Sofia, the teenaged songstress, is on the rise in the music industry as she steps into the spotlight with music and a message. Her latest release, “Broken Perfection,” just might be your next favorite EP.
Before she stepped into the music scene, Anna was a competitive dancer starting when was three years old. It was when she began piano lessons at the age of four that led to her to gain an interest in the ukulele and guitar as well. Transforming from dancer to musician, she would sing in plays, community events, and around the Canadian ski resort town of Blue Mountain. As she discovered and took influence from the greats like Elton John, Michael Jackson, and Queen, Anna started to develop her own sound as an indie artist. When she found her way to Republic Records, we got the first taste of her style and sound in her debut EP “Self Aware Bitch”.
Giving off a pop-indie vibe, the album tells of love and heartbreak through Anna’s personal experiences. Personally, my favorite song off the EP is “No Fun”. With its faster-paced drums along with a catchy guitar. Singing about a crazy party she went to, the song emphasizes the day after, where all you want to do is lay around and relax. I’m sure we can all relate to that one. What I love about this album is how there are different vibes for your mood. “Self Aware Bitch” is a softer toned, dreamy song about staying real and true to yourself even when you’re surrounded by the fake. The title song has over 1.6 million streams on Spotify, which brings us to Anna’s second EP of the year, “Broken Perfection”, that she released on July 31st.
Before the release of the six-song EP, she gave us a taste of her new work with the single releases of “Either Way” and “Happy For You.” The former talks about seeing someone through their imperfections and loving them anyway, while the latter takes on a completely different meaning. The upbeat and more pop-based song expresses the idea of being “happy” for your ex who has moved onto someone new. Lyrics like, “I really hate the way you’re still on my mind” and “you talk about her like she’s everything” give off the guilty pleasure of teen angst memories we can all relate to.
After interviewing Anna about the creative process behind the EP, I was able to get a deeper understanding of her artistry and musical talent. Before she begins writing a song, Anna said she likes to be open-minded and not have too much of a plan for what she wants her songs to be about. This freedom is what she says works for her creative process best rather than trying to organize the themes or vibe to a song before it's written. She also told us about some of her favorite moments to write about, saying, “When I’m really mad or happy about something, usually when I need to get something off my chest.” Because she hates to talk about her feelings and emotions Anna says that “once [she] gets in the studio that’s [her] place to vent.” I loved this idea of using music as an outlet for emotions because it shows the similarities between the artist and the listener: they both turn to music for the same reason.
In the “Happy For You Interview Video” Anna talks about how easily people tend to change themselves in order to satisfy others, specifically those they have a crush on. She owns up to doing this herself (as many of us can as well.) This theme is portrayed through a clone of Anna who interviews her in the video. Distinguished by a purple wig, the clone is visibly awkward and not herself as she sits next to the “real” Anna. With the two side by side in the video, it’s obvious how superficial the clone is which drives the message home to whoever needs to hear it. During our interview with Anna, she said her inspiration behind the wigs in “Happy For You” came from “her quarantine self” – when she dyed her hair just about every color of the rainbow. This unique idea shows off just how creative and talented Anna is all while sending an important message that we need to be reminded of every once in a while.
A great word of advice that Anna left us with for her young audience, especially those going into or who are already in high school was to, “Take it easy on yourself!” Admitting she is super hard on herself, she says, “Don’t try to please anyone, just do your thing and that is how you’ll find your environment and be happy in your environment.” I wish I heard more advice like this before I started high school because I tended to change who I was to please others instead of staying true to myself. And I especially wish that I had Anna’s “Broken Perfection” to get me through the ins and outs of high school drama and gossip.
Make sure to go stream Anna Sofia’s “Broken Perfection,” linked below, and then listen to her first EP “Self Aware Bitch” after that!
https://open.spotify.com/album/5LHftTy5Aqf2pk3ut49Y6g?si=aerbEGi0SDmKVipPZSwc9Q