INTERVIEW: Pop Artist Ananya Talks Finding Her Sound, Embracing Healing, and New Single ‘Emotions’
As we bid a bitter farewell to brat summer, we’re opening our horizons to a fall full of “Sad Girl Pop—” or, at least that’s what Ananya and I branded her sound during our sit-down.
The London-based Zimbabwean singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and mental health advocate is shaping up to take the U.S. charts by storm this year. Her EP i woke up one night garnered 800k streams to date and is a blend of melodic euphoria and motifs surrounding empowerment and self-discovery.
Having stemmed from her mother’s diverse music selection, the pop star does not take her work lightly. Emphasizing the importance of sitting in one’s emotions and setting boundaries, she hopes listeners use her art as a vice for feeling and healing.
During her time in New York City for Fashion Week, we sat down with Ananya to chat about her time in the city, embracing the journey, and the whimsical word of her music video for her new single, “Emotions.”
Check out our full conversation below.
BRITTANY: Ananya, thank you again so much for joining us at Glitter. How are you doing today?
ANANYA: I’m good. Thank you so much for having me. How are you?
BRITTANY: I’m doing well. Thank you. I heard you were in New York City this past week for Fashion Week. Tell me, what were some of your highlights?
ANANYA: I’ve enjoyed being back in the city and seeing how it’s changed over the years. However, I think Fashion Week is always fun because it’s incredible to see people feel so comfortable in their skin. I’ve always found that New York is probably the only place in the world where people are so effortlessly themselves. So, it’s always so refreshing to be here and see that.
BRITTANY: I love that. I think it’s so funny because I was at events and when you walk through New York and you’re dressed a certain way, nobody cares. When I talk to people who are from places other than New York, they’re like, “I can never get away with wearing this at home.” I’m like, “What do you mean?”
ANANYA: I mean, I put on this beautiful tracksuit and it was so floral and velvety, something I would never probably step out in, in London, just because that’s the way there. I felt so cool and so empowered walking out. New York is so special because of that.
BRITTANY: Do you have any runway show highlights?
ANANYA: I loved Maui X Lolita. I think that was incredible; that was my first show. So, I mean, what a way to start Fashion Week. Bonjell was amazing. They had beautiful colors. Overall, it was just a dream. I’m hoping I’ll be back next year.
BRITTANY: Let’s get away from fashion and into your music. What got you into music and influenced the artist that you are today?
ANANYA: From a young age, without obviously understanding too much about music and its role in my life, I really valued the way music could take me to a different place. I remember listening to “I’m Like a Bird” when I was young in the garden with my mom. I just felt I don’t know. I couldn’t really understand it, but it just made me feel so free and so different than I felt on a normal day. From then on, it was something I wanted to be involved in.
BRITTANY: Since you mentioned “I’m Like a Bird,” is Nelly Furtado one of your influences?
ANANYA: She is definitely an influence. I’m so grateful that growing up, there were so many genres playing in the house, There was jazz music and French music. So, it was always changing. I love Macy Gray, I love Dido, I love Joni Mitchell. Taylor Swift was a huge influence growing up. She’s kind of the reason I ever picked up a guitar, I’d say. It’s incredible being in a world where so many women are incredible at music. I like to say I’m a pop artist. I’d love to explore a little bit more of the indie pop scene, and, honestly, I love singing jazz.
BRITTANY: So can we say, “Sad Pop” for now? “Sad Pop,” “Sad Girl Pop.” I like that. We’re going to brand that. With that, in that arsenal, you released your single “Emotions” last month. Tell us the inspiration behind it.
ANANYA: I think with “Emotions,” it was interesting for me to put such an upbeat production behind the meaning. The meaning to me is realizing that we are humans, and sometimes it does take a lot longer than expected to overcome something and heal from something if it is painful—we’re not machines. Sometimes they exhaust us and we can’t get over them so quickly. Through that, the people who love you are saying, “Get over it. That was ages ago,” but there’s something in you that’s like, “I haven’t healed from that yet.” With “Emotions,” the production was like, “Okay, even though you haven’t healed from it yet, we’re going to motivate you to get over it.” So, it’s acknowledging the harder parts of healing– that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
BRITTANY: I think that’s so important. Like you just said, there’s so many people that tell you, “Oh, just get over it.” But you weren’t in that situation yourself, so you don’t understand the full healing process. So, sometimes you have to take matters in your own hands and do things for yourself. With that, you had the most beautiful Breakfast at Tiffany’s-esque music video for this single; it was what girly dreams are made of. Tell me about the video and why you chose to go in that artistic direction?
ANANYA: It was really important to show it’s almost like in healing; I feel there are so many different versions of you. You know, there’s one day you’re harsh on yourself because you can’t get over it. Then there’s another day where you say, “Hang on a second. I just need to process this.” So, you go through so many different versions, and then there comes a point in time when you finally have crossed that bridge where you’re like, “I’m gonna dress up because I feel good or I’m gonna dress up because I feel a bit stronger today.” The music video starts with a rocky ex situation, and then it turns into “I’m getting ready to let this go.”
BRITTANY: It reminds me of that scene in Euphoria where Cassie does her 4 A.M. morning routine to help her heal from something. I think it’s a cool juxtaposition in your song because, in the lyrics, we’re hearing about this healing process and the struggles in that journey. But then we see this beautiful coming-of-look story. It’s a really fun way to counteract the story. In your music, you have a lot of motifs and themes of determination, setting boundaries, and just being one with yourself. So tell me, what do you hope that your listeners take away from your music and these themes?
ANANYA: Well, firstly, to know that anyone’s listening to me at all is always just surreal. So I’m just so grateful for that, but I hope that my music can give to people who listen to what music has given to me all my life. You could put it as music has always been like a best friend to me. It’s always been something that I can turn to when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m healing. It’s been something I can relate to. So, I hope anyone listening has something to relate to as well.
BRITTANY: On the heels of your success with “Emotions” and your EP, i woke up one night, can you tease any upcoming music or any upcoming projects for us?
ANANYA: There is one of my favorite songs coming out on October 4, it’s called “Happy.” It kind of builds it’s a very different direction in terms of production, but it does build on the healing aspect of things and being nostalgic.
BRITTANY: Well, we can’t wait to hear. Ananya, thank you so much for chatting with us at Glitter today.
ANANYA: Thank you for having me.
Check out the music video for “Emotions” below.
Writer | Tweet me @brittanyskylerr
