As the second-eldest daughter in a large, religious family–five siblings in all–Seattle-based retro soul and modern pop artist Annie J has always relied on music to find a sense of belonging. With a childhood spent shuffling around small towns throughout the US, she discovered that art created a deeper understanding of her purpose than what was on the surface. Annie’s family eventually settled on the east side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State—through it all, she found a constant companion in what was flowing through the speakers of a “dream machine” radio alarm clock her grandfather gifted her.
Through a forest of heavenly harmonies and psychedelic undertones, Annie J delivers a breath of fresh air via uplifting songwriting on “Your Power.” The artist uses the hypnotic guitar work as a canvas and paints a bright image dedicated to finding the silver lining in the world. Her bright perspective is refreshing and welcomed, but there is more to Annie J’s new single than on the surface. The way the artist manipulates modern soul and injects her expansive touch into it creates an infectious and welcoming atmosphere in the same way it is risky and rewarding. Annie J seems relentlessly dedicated to carving out a soulful lane of her own, and she is doing so with a positive outlook and daring creativity.
“Imagine embodying that voice in your head, the one you hear from time to time that seems to say – ‘hey, I’ve been here loving you the whole time. You can heal and grow and reach for joy.’ Imagine embodying that same voice, watching yourself slip back into the depths of fear and trauma,” explains the artist. “This song, to me, is remembering the patient inner voice exists, though she’s sometimes so quiet compared to the rest. And knowing I will fall again and again and there will always be a way back. For me, that knowledge is not a given but must be practiced and relearned over and over again.”
