Brit Singer Anne-Marie Debuts the Perfect Breakup Anthem
Lucky for you, we know where you can find more of those island-pop inspired tunes: British singer and songwriter Anne-Marie’s music is totally for you. In fact, you may already have heard her single released last year, “Alarm,” which has close to 200 million spins on Spotify.
Anne-Marie’s music has those Reggaeton beats and island pop vocals reminiscent of Rihanna that we love oh-so-much, and her new single, “Ciao Adios,” features those two things plus catchy hooks and dance breaks that’ll make you wanna grab the girls and head out for some fun.
Though Anne-Marie is clearly a badass in her own right — I mean, just look at her style — she wasn’t always this edgy. She actually started out doing musical productions like “Les Miserables” at the young age of 7. After performing with British pop group Rudimental for a while, Anne-Marie knew that she didn’t want her voice to be under the restrictions of having to sing in any particular way, “I wasn’t prepared to mould my voice into what they needed — I just wanted to do it naturally,” she says.
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This chick is a rebel after our own heart. She was the most nominated artist at this year’s Brit Awards, and the UK’s biggest-selling female breakthrough star of the year — and our girl doesn’t even have a debut album yet.
Check out Anne-Marie’s new sick single “Ciao Adios” and then give her a follow on those socials.
You started out in performing arts doing musicals, even though you decided to change routes. Would you say you learned anything from that experience that carried over into your singing/writing now?
What I learned from performing as a child in musical theatre was how to tell a story through a song. It also helped teach me how to be confident on stage from a young age.
You also spent time as a backup vocalist — would you say these things served as an “artist boot camp” for you?
I learned so much touring with Rudimental on and off stage. Being a backing vocalist for Rudimental was inspiring as I got to see how they work the crowd and get fans excited throughout a show.
It appears that the video for “Alarm” is somewhat based visually on Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet,” with a combo of street vibes…. What made you decide to use that as a throwback/inspiration?
I have always loved that film and I sent the song out to a few different directors and one of them used this idea and it just stuck with me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it so I had to do it.
What was it like collaborating with Rockabye and Sean Paul for “Clean Bandit”?
It was fun and a fast process. I heard the song while I was at a festival in Belgium and absolutely loved it. It has such a strong message and I love lyrics that really mean something, so I flew back to London and went straight into the studio with Clean Bandit to record my vocals and then it came out about two weeks later.
Sean Paul is a legend, I grew up listening to him so it’s amazing to be featured on a song with him and it’s been fun getting to perform it live with him as he has such great energy.
Your newest single is “Ciao Adios” — what was the inspiration for that song?
My inspiration for this song came from getting over my ex. It’s that point when you give someone so many chances and then start realizing you are worth so much more.
Your music seems to draw on reggaeton beats and island rhythms — where does that influence come from?
My dad is a Mod so was always playing Ska and Reggae music around the house while I was growing up which definitely inspired me. That style of music just makes me happy and want to dance.
What kind of music did you grow up on that you were attribute your sound to?
I grew up listening to Prince, Toots and the Maytals, Michael Jackson, and Lauryn Hill.
Tell us more about your upcoming album release? What kind we expect?
My album will be out later this year. It’s basically my diary… I write about experiences that I have been through in lots of different vibes from breakup ballads to songs that will get you going in the gym. I love it and I am so excited to share it with everyone.
It’s a really popular thing to have songs re-released as remixes — what are your thoughts on this? Do you like the remixes, or do you prefer the original releases?
I always love other people’s interpretations of the song so am a big fan of remixes. From hip hop to dance, they are really exciting to hear.
What are you most excited about for 2017?
Every single day of it. I can’t wait to tour with Ed Sheeran, to perform at festivals over the summer and to do my own headline shows in the fall and of course to finally release my debut album!
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Photos by Damon Baker
