Up Next

Up Next: ANANYA

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Ananya’s Photo by Sophia French

Ananya, the Zimbabwean-born rising singer/songwriter based in London, is a multi-talented artist excelling in music. Her latest single, "Macy Gray," pays homage to the legendary artist and is part of her debut EP, "I Woke Up One Night." With over half a million streams, the EP features hit tracks like "Bad for You" and "Gone (Forever)," showcasing Ananya's emotive vocals and reflective songwriting.

Beyond music, Ananya co-founded The Nani Wellness Project to raise awareness about mental health issues in Zimbabwe. This showcases Ananya as a notable presence in the global music scene, combining her musical talent with a commitment to creative expression and mental health advocacy.

If you had to pick one song from your new EP to introduce someone to your music, which one would it be and why?

I think it’d have to be ‘macy gray’. I’m often back and forth when it comes to my favorite song from ‘i woke up one night’, but I tend to lean towards the more vulnerable, melancholic tracks. I think that ‘macy gray’ really encompasses a common feeling and tackles the concept that although tough, remembering the truth, rather than only the good, is vital in moving on. 

What's the weirdest inspiration you've drawn for a song?

Throughout this EP, being inspired by my dreams was a new point. It’s something that hadn’t ever happened to me, but I welcomed it with open arms when it came. It started with ‘bad for you’ when I woke up from a nightmare; I dreamed about disloyalty, which turned out to be very much true. It’s my weirdest inspiration - I still have a hard time explaining to people that I discovered the truth from a dream.

What advice would you give to young people wanting to become music producers/singer-songwriters etc

I’m still figuring this out but I try to create what feels most authentic to me, and work that I’m excited and passionate about.

Name one artist or genre that has influenced you/your music

I’m a massive Swiftie.. Taylor Swift has influenced both me and my music. She not only taught me songwriting but also the importance of filling songs with wit and power. Her role as a woman in music is inspiring, and I admire her full dedication to everything she pursues.

How do you overcome creative blocks? 

I’m still learning about overcoming creative blocks, but something that has been working for me lately is journaling and meditation. I have this superstition that if I stop focusing on overcoming my creative block, inspiration comes to me. 

What's one thing you hope your fans take away from listening to your debut EP?

I hope that anyone listening feels that they have something to relate to, and something to act as a companion to in life’s very real scenarios.

Connect with Ananya

Instagram & YouTube

Up Next: Lavaud

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Hailing from Hackney, East London with roots in Mauritius, Lavaud began her musical journey guided by her father, who exposed her to various genres like Zouk and R&B.

Lavaud cites the likes of Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin and Beyonce as inspirations for her sound. She received recognition from the MOBO Awards for single ‘Pictures’ before scoring a US ‘Top 20’ urban radio hit with ‘Deep’ and ‘In This Room’ - an acoustic single that she wrote, produced and recorded from her bedroom during lockdown that amassed over 500K streams and was playlisted by YouTube Music, Apple Music and Tidal amongst others.

Since then, Lavaud solidified her status as an artist to watch with her debut EP ‘King Vaud’ which received critical acclaim, scoring over 3 million global streams. She made a comeback with the single ‘Roll on Me’ featuring an all-star ensemble of very special guests that have shaped the landscape of African music, Tiwa Savage, Patoranking, Reekado Banks and Kanis, out now on DSPs via Saint & Citizen Music.

On the single, Lavaud said: “I’m so excited to be working with such iconic and generational talent. I love how all our cultures blend to create something timeless, that’s the beauty of music”.

What has been the most rewarding moment in your journey so far?

One of the most rewarding moments of my career so far would have to be seeing myself on a massive billboard in the middle of Old Street, a place where I used to sing from the age of 16. Growing up, I would go to sing in all these bars, trying to get people to listen to my music. To see my music on a massive billboard promoting me and my fellow artists that are on the track (Roll On Me) with me, just this whole experience of releasing “Roll On Me” me has been one of the most rewarding moments ever.

I've definitely manifested that and it just shows the power in believing in yourself. I'm pushing a working hard, you can definitely get all the things that you've ever wanted. Also, Billboard Top 100 shout me out for charting on two massive Billboard charts, one at number 28 and one at number four. That was a sick experience for me, so super grateful.

3 things you can't live without in your bag

The first one is a pair of Valentino shades. I carry them everywhere I go. If I go into the corner shop, or I want to go to the supermarket or wherever and I can throw these on and have no makeup on. If I want to get into character, to be moody in the booth while I'm singing, I throw these on. They've been rocking with me for about four years. So yeah, can't live without them. Valentino shades.

The second one would be a Christian Dior OUD. I get really bad car sickness and get really nauseous, so sometimes smelling this just helps it go away. Also, if you are in studio all day, and you need to just want to smell a little bit fresh after a long day singing. This just tough to trade, you don't need a lot.

Then third the obvious is my phone but mainly because I love to take pictures and I love to capture memories of my friends, of food etc. I can look back at something that happened in 2017 and just laugh. It will just make me feel happy and light. I love capturing memories on my phone.

Favorite music to wake up to.

The music that I listened to in the morning is 432 Hertz frequency music. For me, it releases endorphins in my body. It does the same thing as when I hug someone or when I laugh or when I run in the gym. It just does something for me, it sets my mood and grounds me in the morning.

I also love to romanticise my life and every little thing of my day. I feel that (the artist) Al Green does the trick for me (every time I'm making my breakfast in the morning, or I don't know showering or brushing my teeth). His music just makes me feel like I'm in the movies, it just makes me feel good. So yeah, romanticise your life, it is the best thing I've ever done.

Your top tip for finding your creativity and a tough day.

Honestly, is chill. Don't force it. Don't overthink it, if it's not coming in and it's not flowing for you. I would watch something that would inspire me like a Beyonce documentary. Or I might just watch my favourite movie. Go to a museum, hang out with my friends, do things that won’t put pressure on my brain. Because the moment I put pressure on my brain, and I start to self sabotage and get frustrated with myself, I realise that none of that is going to come up. So, literally, just go live your life and come back to it. I promise you; if you sleep on it, and come back to that song the next day, you will come up with a smash.

Up Next: MEYY

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In this month's edition of 'Up Next’ (our series showcasing rising talent), we're excited to feature London-based Belgian-Korean alt-pop artist MEYY, whose ethereal vocals and soundscapes redefine R&B and progressive pop. MEYY infuses creative songwriting with imaginative aesthetic references, shaping a musical narrative that calls listeners into a glossy digital universe.

MEYY joined forces with object blue on ‘Shut Up’, the result of an inspiring music writing camp organised by Platoon’s She Runs The Board, shesaid.so and ESEA Music, the community for the UK’s East and South East Asian music industry. Shining a light on the ESEA music community and female producers, songwriters & engineers in the industry, it’s a project close to the artist’s hearts.

‘Shut Up’ draws on a myriad of influences from RnB, soul, pop, UK bass, dubstep and techno, which melds seamlessly over MEYY’s sultry delivery and object blue’s deft inspired production, all the while maintaining an authentic DIY feel. London based Belgian-Korean alt-pop star MEYY joined fellow London based / Beijing raised DJ / producer object blue for a 3 day writing camp over Summer and everything just clicked.

MEYY said:

“Working with object blue was incredible. She’s so effortlessly talented and sharp and I think her deep affection and love for music is felt so thoroughly in everything she makes.” object blue: “It’s really nice to work with someone who has a different skillset.

‘Shut Up’ is an ode to all the heartbreakers trying to stand tall in their innocence. To all the actors and actresses who are, consciously or subconsciously, holding up the mirror while blowing smoke into your bedroom. A sleazy lullaby for a fever dream. I love that this song has tragedy and despair as well as sassy and silly bits. I think both parts are really important.”

This coming together of minds was made possible through Platoon’s ’She Runs The Boards’ music writing camp in partnership with ESEA Music and shesaid.so.

For this brand new program, ESEA Music worked with Platoon to curate and A&R the artists’ group sessions that took place across 3 full days at Platoon’s new state of the art Platoon 7 Studios over in Tileyard London. The aim was to shine a light on the ESEA Music community and to increase the number and visibility of female producers, songwriters & engineers in the industry. These sessions resulted in 2 brilliant singles from each of the artist groups, the first of which is MEYY x object blue’s ’Shut Up’.

Can you share a bit about the collaborative process behind 'Shut Up'?

Making ‘Shut Up’ was so much fun - shout out to ESAE community and Platoon for setting up this camp. Very talented Asian women making music was sick. object blue and I just got along so well. We laughed so much, talked so much shit and obviously we made music. This is my ideal setup for life in general.

The song also feels so intimate, so honest and close to us because we made it in two days and then a couple of months later it was released, which is something I've never done before. That was a cool experiment. For me it was nice to go back into the ease of things and music. So yeah making ‘Shut Up’ was super cool.

What's your top advice for young people wanting to become music producers/singer-songwriters?

So my advice for people that are just starting out would be to just push the button. I think that because of the internet we are so aware of all the information that's out there and all the plugins or all the skills that may or may not be required anything can be quite overwhelming, sometimes even paralysing. I feel sometimes we think that we need to know and be prepared very well before we want to do something like that because we don't want to do something and then suck at it.

The point is to not think and obviously begin where there's this gap in between of what you want or what you can do, because you don't have all the skills yet to translate it. And that can be really struggle. But you will become better and should try and not focus too much on becoming better anyway. I think consciously or subconsciously you'll start making decisions that you wouldn't make if you would just go at your first incentive. At the core of it music should be really easy and really fun. to make and really important. So yeah, yeah, I would just say, push the button.

What influences your work the most? Science, dancing or music? Or anything else?

I don't know if anything really very explicitly influenced something else. I started singing before I started dancing, I've been singing since I was really really small. I think everything stems from the same place and intertwined in some ways. But it's not clear for me if something influenced me very suddenly. I think in general, though, everything I do, I make it very big in my head, I'm very dramatic in that sense. Everything feels really important for me and I kind of do that with everything.

MEYY joined forces with object blue on ‘Shut Up’, the result of an inspiring music writing camp organised by Platoon’s She Runs The Board, shesaid.so and ESEA Music, the community for the UK’s East and South East Asian music industry. Shining a light on the ESEA music community and female producers, songwriters & engineers in the industry, it’s a project close to the artist’s hearts.

MEYY has been featured on Wonderland, Dazed, Notion, Mixmag, DMY, BBC Radio 1’s Future Artists with Jack Saunders and more.

Object Blue can be seen on DJ Mag, Mixmag, RA, FACT, i-D, Pitchfork, The Face, BBC Radio 1 Annie Nightingale and more.