Anna Bea's songs typically engaged with the perceptions that are placed on her. "People keep telling me a girl like you shouldn't be by herself at night," she vented on "People Keep Telling Me." Thus, even when she addressed someone specific, such as in "Cold," the real conflict was between herself and the version of herself that is projected onto her. On her catchy, latest single, "Another World," Bea writes from a new perspective. The versatile singer/songwriter goes disco, voice soaring over groovy bass and glittering synths. At times, the sound blurs into a dreamier haze, as though the gravity was turned out in a roller rink. The dizzying coaster of "Another World" is less of a hill and more of a flurry of corkscrews.
Bea writes from a collective perspective, exploring the desire to live in the past. This choice — speaking from a "we" — melts away the feeling of loneliness that permeates much of her other work. Before, the dissonance between herself and perceptions of her created a feeling of isolation, living in the void between social and personal realities. Now, Bea taps into a collective experience of looking "to a place locked in the past." That the disco sound is reminiscent of a past era adds to the effect. "Are we close but far away? / Can we reach back to those days?" She asks. It's never clear what we all seek in the past—even to ourselves—but Bea finds truth in the indescribable longing for something missing from the present.
Anna Bea is a London-based singer/songwriter. She began releasing music during the lockdown of 2020, along with her debut EP "Wheels of Change." Check out her website for Bea's explanation of previous songs, as well as videos and other press material. Her genre-bending, pop sound is well matched with industry veteran producers and mixers. "Another World" teases towards another EP, slated for release in January.
Written By Andy Mockbee
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