With impressive lyrics and a fearless determination to fuse Latin music with Folk and Indie, showcased on her debut EP Wheel of Change, Anna Bea has proved herself to be one of the best Pop artists of 2020.
Opening with Bleeding Heart which delivers a Spanish-influenced, chord structure, stylistically performed on a nylon-stringed, acoustic guitar, Anna’s raw voice instantly throws us back to the emotionally-charged singing of Jewel’s critically acclaimed, 1995 album Pieces Of You, and brings about heart-wrenching vibes. The emotive chord progression in Bleeding Heart’s chorus will, not only leave a lump in your throat from the outset but will also remind you of Lene Marlin’s 1998, Pop Rock single Unforgivable Sinner, best known for being sampled on Riri’s title track from the album which made her an overnight success Good Girl Gone Bad. In other words, this summer-breeze of a Folk Pop song will grab your attention enough for you to want to sit down and listen to the rest of Anna’s brilliantly crafted portfolio and for all these reasons it is the perfect way to kick off this memorable EP.
Neon Music recently had the pleasure of listening to Anna Bea’s single People Keep Telling Me, and we are over the moon that this infectious number was included on Wheel of Change. Empowering lyrics of freedom, such as “I do not need a date to validate the choice I’ve made, I do it my own way,” was just one of many reasons for why we gave this lead single a rave review. Anna evidenced on People Keep Telling Me that she is a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind, go against conventions and not follow the norm, nor follow what is expected of her gender.
However, our favourite Anna Bea track has to be Cold – a catchy, mid-tempo, Indie Pop song which has HIT written all over because of its standout words and ear-grabbing, bright, summer-esque production, despite its concept of feeling frozen and being alone. Cleverly, Anna contradicts these profound emotions by throwing themes of strength and the need to be by one’s self, because she prefers to do things differently and we couldn’t praise the multi-talented singer and songwriter enough for going against the cliches of today’s Pop music.
Wheel of Change comes to a sexual close with the rhythmically Latin Roll The Dice, sending us back to the style which kicked off this powerful record, only this time Anna is not on her hands and knees anymore. She has bounced back from the bittersweetness of Bleeding Heart and is now confronting her lover for their wrongdoings via angry lyrics such as “if it’s a game of snakes and ladders, you’re the snake.” Performed in a sultry fashion, alongside a Bossa Nova-rhythm guitar, Anna’s sensual vocals and notable Gaelic-style flip at the end of each line in the chorus sections are simply effortless. It is as if Anna, in a very tongue-in-cheek way, travelled back in time and recreated J-Lo’s 2001, hit single Ain’t It Funny and, instead of falling for the man, she is vengefully resisting her tempted fate and fighting back at his sick and twisted games.
“The EP is called ‘Wheel of Change’ and each song represents a different stage in a relationship; ‘Bleeding Heart’ is about a broken girl trying to break free from a toxic relationship, ‘People Keep Telling Me’ is when she is finally free and confidently single, ‘Cold’ is about letting go of love and realising sometimes it’s better to be on your own and ‘Roll the Dice’ is about that early stage of a new relationship when you’re not sure what’s going to happen next.” – Anna Bea
We are desperate to hear a full-length album from this great Pop newcomer following this flawless debut. In the meantime, check out Anna Bea’s Wheel of Change available on stream and download from all online platforms now.