The Ghanaian Filipino singer introduces us to her first body of work, a world of autumnal dream pop. It is filled with songs that boast of fragrance and fierceness yet are delicate, making it truly “Something about a Rose”.
“Do Not Disturb” was the perfect announcement for Anabel Rose, a fast-paced record that urges you to dance to the thrill and terror of getting what you want, accompanied by a viral dance. It was also a testament to her range. The lead single, “Love Me or Die,” which sways differently from “DND”. It starts as a ballad but switches smoothly with a meekness that sharpens it into a soft rock record as the track builds, making both songs different but dizzyingly fun. The EP is immensely gratifying, swerving between modes—sad and hard, quotidian and glamorous in it’s own way. Her singing peaks on “Lungs”, and she sounds very smooth, channeling her soulful mode with lyrics that excavate what it means to understand love and reality, co-powered by 99Phaces producer Mēl.
Anabel Rose’s bid for pop excellence doesn’t get much better than calling up Insvne Auggie, also a producer for 99phaces and a frequent collaborator, having worked on “DND”. The duo’s understanding of each other yields “Smile,” a feel-good “memeable” song where her voice sweeps over strings to the slinky rush of electro beats and thumping drums.
Funky R&B paired with clever Afro-pop is a vision Anabel wants to share with us in the most vivid form. Auggie oversees the production again of “Won’t Go Back,” her nimble rapping and svelte singing is at it’s best here. Even on a technical level, the transition to the outro sounds like a snippet if she ever made a trap song (fingers crossed on that). “Too Friendly” sounds way better after it premiered at iMullar Sound System earlier this year. I can’t help but picture Ghanaian creative director Nasua Oforiwa, screaming the hook out on the top of her lungs. The hook/chorus is an infectious one, it comes gift-wrapped and hangs around longer than foil balloons. The production chains together fragments of psychedelic pop, soft rock, and daring thick bass lines that stay in tune with the textures of today’s forward-thinking pop as much as it is a love letter to the classics.
With undeniable momentum,” Something About A Rose” is boosted by self-affirming lyrics and a well-drilled production that embraces modern and vintage pop styles, executed by one of its most sincere disciples.
Stream “Something About A Rose” HERE.
