ANON (uh-non) imparts some much-needed looseness and pliancy to her debut EP How to be Fabulous, her delivery rendering that hot afternoon sun into something more mellow. The 21 year old, Korean-American from the Bay Area comes out of the studio with a project that’s both tantalizing and fully-baked. And this comes after the artist opted to take her mental health into consideration by discontinuing college and taking a one-year break, which led to the blossoming of her music. How to be Fabulous is considered her debut project as she mentions that it was a “long coming project since 2019”.
The result is a collection of soulful music that melts the heart with irresistible tender vocals, passionate lyrics and simmering, head-nodding beats. The opener “Different” sounds like a record you could imagine a major label might happily work with. Simplicity is baked into the production. It feels intimate and spacey with undemanding, even liberating, lightness that isn’t much present on a song like “That Guy”. If ANON is this ambitious and captivating on an EP, then the only next step for her is to reach for the skies.
“Misunderstood” situates us in an open balcony with an incoming gentle breeze, this time at night instead of the sweltering midday heat. The song conjures a downhearted mood, with lyrics that detail of a love gone sour. The one that leaves a numbing sting inside your heart and makes you feel deep unhappiness in a relationship. ANON tries to make sense of how things got so complicated, but soon realizes that not all relationships that start out blissfully and romantically survive the test of time. Ultimately, she’s caught in a moment where instead of wondering what went wrong she feels the need to finally give up and let go herself.
On “That Guy”, ANON bends her delicate vocals to create something sleeker than bedroom R&B, with an earnestness that separates it from algorithmic chill music. Here, the beat sounds more trippy with a more hip hop vibe to it. ANON shoots her shot with fancy, whimsical rhymes, adopting a gloriously carefree touch to the EP.
“Memories” boasts the sultriest groove, with twinkling melodies and a bassline riding behind shuffling drums. It’s music for the bedroom playlist, but what sets ANON apart from a legion of aspiring singers is her distinctive voice, which occupies the glorious interzone between Jhené Aiko’s silky croon and Kali Uchis’ mesmerizing falsetto. With a wild imagination, this song sees ANON put on lavender perfume and a nice lingerie. This time, she’s sighing and sobbing through her make-up and laying on top of her bed, covered with white satin sheets. She twists and rolls as she goes into deep thought of a love that was once nostalgic with kisses under the moon light, sexual intimacy, and lots of fun moments.
“LALALA” sees a more resilient ANON, whose much more in control of her emotions. She showcases a guilt-free, unhurried delivery at its most effective. If anything, this song also leaves you wanting more from this EP, and the closer “580 N.” makes it harder to believe that it’s all over. It wouldn’t have been a waste of time if the artist decided to extend the ride and take us on detour, arriving at the destination a little bit later than expected. Undoubtedly, ANON can sing like a true established artist. Only thing remaining is to collaborate with a host of artists and see whether if her sound would appeal to different audiences and win them over to her loyal fan base. That would be exciting to see!
Follow ANON: Instagram
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