Few artists know themselves as well as Anna Sofia, let alone at the age of 18. “From the moment I started writing music I had a very clear vision of what type of artist I was going to be,” she recalls. “I know everything I want to do long before I execute it. I definitely like it that way because it helps keep me on track, and I feel more organized and driven when I know who I am.” This process of self discovery was further catalyzed by COVID. “I really started to understand myself during the pandemic. I had so much time to spend with just myself so it was a great opportunity to learn a bit more about who I am. I started to play around a lot with my appearance by dying my hair, trying new makeup, wearing new clothes, and I feel like I definitely needed that and it certainly opened a whole new door of me.” Her new EP, “LET ME OUT I’M FREE!” is a defiant celebration of her creative emancipation. “‘LET ME OUT I’M FREE!’ is about a point in my career where I felt very controlled by the voices of the industry. I felt very trapped in this environment where I felt my true artistry didn’t belong. I finally started to ignore everyone and everything around me and started making music for me. I was using new sounds, and different lyrics, and I really loved making music for the true joy of making music again. Then the EP was born!”
As a young teen just finding her way in the music world, Anna Sofia felt pressure from the industry to manufacture an authentic version of herself. Her feelings of inadequacy festered. “For the longest time, I really just thought that I was not a good enough musician, and that can obviously be very hard on someone at 15 just starting to take music very seriously. Looking back now, I am very happy I went through that. First off, I’m glad I experienced that at such an early point in my career, so now moving forward I know what to be cautious of. Secondly, it really just made me so much stronger. Never again will I ever let someone have more control over my art and brand than myself. It’s my name, my vision, my lyrics, my music, and it will stay that way.” Eventually, she found the right time to let her true colors shine. “I was really just waiting for the moment that I could share my real art. I knew that eventually a day would come where I could just do what I wanted to do, and I knew what I had to do to get to that day, so I let it all play out. In the meantime, I was writing music that truly came from me so I could share it as soon as that day came.” The EP is a culmination of her fight to showcase her genuine artistic self. “The fact that it’s out is a celebration for me. It means I got to where I wanted to be, and I am able to share with you what I want, and what I am truly proud of. Seeing the EP out on music platforms is a reminder to myself to never let anyone tell you how to run your show. You build your success and happiness the way you want to, and you will find people along the way who appreciate you for you. Sounds cheesy, but cheese is good.”
She released a film project simultaneously. “I knew that I wanted all of the videos in the EP to take place in the same locations. I decided if I was going to do that, I could make them all tie together. One of my best friends, music video director Qran Zhu, and I built out the story together over a few months. After we built out a full story, established which story is being used for which song, and brought it all to life.” Once again, she joyously revitalized a part of her creativity left forcibly dormant. “It was such an amazing experience for me. It was always something I wanted to do, but again was not allowed. I put my all into this project and it was so refreshing to actually just be able to do that without that not being ok. It was also such a great experience to be working with my best friends. Pretty much every single person on my music video sets is one of my closest friends and it makes music video shoots way more fun!”
This journey embodies everything Anna Sofia has ever wanted or wanted to be.”I’ve always wanted to do this. It wasn’t something I just woke up and decided to do. I have loved entertainment and music for as long as I can remember. My life right now makes so much sense to me because it’s exactly what I’ve envisioned for myself all along.” It’s the first of many milestones. “I’m going to continue to do what I want to do. I’m currently in the works of my first album which has been a very cool experience. I already have so many ideas for my new music, and it’s so nice to finally know that I can execute my ideas exactly how I imagine them. Right now I just love the process of creating. It’s so stress free, and I’m loving it so much again. ‘LET ME OUT I’M FREE!’ is just the beginning of my pressure free creative experiences so I am beyond excited to share more!” The road ahead is paved with future musical gems, glittering with promise.
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Anna Sofia Proudly Declares Her Artistic Autonomy with New EP, “LET ME OUT I’M FREE!” Photo Credit (in order): Jean-François Sauvé and Steph Verschuren.
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