ANITA’s Debut EP “Anticipation” is the Record You’ve Been Waiting to Hear
WE’VE ALL HAD A TIME IN WHICH WE WERE EAGER TO SHOW SOMETHING — we worked so hard on. The anxiety, the excitement, and the dedication we put into that one thing can be so overwhelming, but it ends up being worth it once the anticipation is over. Your friends and family are proud of you; anyone else who was rooting for you is cheering you on, and, most importantly, you feel accomplished. You look back at everything and think, “Wow, I really did that.” Sometimes during that waiting period, we get annoyed because we want things to happen on our time. Unfortunately, things don’t always work out that way. We don’t understand why, but trusting in the timing of the universe always reveals when something is meant to happen. And we finally feel at peace and have the clarity we want. For ANITA, the anticipation is finally over.
The 23-year-old singer-songwriter and dancer is based in Houston, TX, and for as long as she can remember, music was something she always wanted to do. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs and music lovers, ANITA shares that she began writing with the help of her brother at a young age. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Destiny's Child, Beyoncé, Drake, Toni Braxton, and Aaliyah,
ANITA is an artist who is versatile, energetic, and refreshing. She brings in strong lyricism, graceful dance moves, and her experimental sound that cannot be locked into a box. ANITA is always looking to expand beyond her comfort zone when it comes to music. Her debut EP, Anticipation, consists of her three leading singles, “On Me,” “Routine (Put it Down),” and “Spend The Night,” along with three new tracks. Anticipation is a graceful blend of soulful harmonies, feel-good beats, and clever yet poetic lyrics. It’s the EP you’ve been waiting for and one you’ll want to keep on repeat all summer long.
Read below to get to know ANITA and to learn about how Anticipation came to be.
LUNA: Hey, Anita — it's nice to meet you! How's your year going so far?
ANITA: It's going well! Honestly, it’s going by fast, but it’s been good! I would say that I've learned a lot. I feel like every year you learn something new, and I think I can feel the growth that last year equipped me with for this year. So I’m excited so far.
LUNA: That's great to hear! I totally agree that this year is going by fast. Since it’s been a crazy couple of years, a lot of us feel like we're in a place where we could just start our journeys without feeling limited. Thank you for sharing. Can you share with the Luna audience who you are as an artist?
ANITA: As an artist, ANITA, in the third person (laughs), I would say [is]… versatile and energetic. I would definitely say that I'm the type of artist that’s not trying to rebel and say, “I'm not ever going to be put in a box.” But I think it's gonna be really hard to categorize me as an artist. Right now, it's hard for me to categorize myself. I'll tell people I'm an R&B artist but I would say that I'm the same as an artist as I am as a person. I get bored easily so I'm just always looking for new things, and that's how I am as an artist. I'm never satisfied, and I'm always looking to grow.
LUNA: Awesome! Thanks for sharing. What made you get into making music?
ANITA: It's so funny because … I don't remember ever wanting to be anything else other than an artist and an entrepreneur. I got into it by just doing it and just writing music. At some point, I thought everyone wrote songs and sang (laughs). I just lived in this bubble where I thought everyone loves music because in my household everyone loves music. No one does music professionally [in my family], but when I was growing up, me and my brother would just write songs in our spare time. He's five years older than me and he was a big influence in that too because he made me think that [making music] was a normal thing as well.
He doesn't write anymore today nor is he a musician. He can if he wants to but he's also an entrepreneur. But it's just interesting because that's how I got my start writing, and then he will critique it. He'll say stuff like, "Oh, I don't know, this could be better,” etc. He'd also give me a little boot camp at home. During our spring break or the holidays, it was just me and him at home. I also started writing poetry. My parents are good writers as well, and they're well-spoken. So we've always been a writing and music family. And then I'll come up with melodies. I got a piano that I never learned how to play (laughs). I was about five or six years old [when I got my piano].
LUNA: Wow! That's so awesome. Thanks for sharing! Just going for it is the most important part. It’s nice to hear that you had the support of your brother and the fact that you guys did boot camps — sounds like so much fun. And in circling back to piano playing, I used to play piano but stopped (laughs). I wanna pick it up again at some point.
ANITA: Good, at least you started! I was still teaching myself for years and I still haven't stuck to it (laughs). Every summer I would tell myself, “I should start again.” And here I am. I'm 23 now and still haven't learned. I still want to start though.
LUNA: You'll definitely get there. As long as you keep thinking about it and manifesting it, it’ll remind you to get to it. So you'll definitely get there. Tell me about how you got your first full EP out.
ANITA: So I started writing this EP before I knew it was going to be an EP, in 2020, during COVID-19. So it feels worth the wait. I feel like if you would have asked me two years ago when I wanted it to come out I would have said, “Right now, right now right now!” But I became okay with just knowing that everything's not my timing. Things will happen when [they need] to happen. And that's honestly what happened with this EP. So it just feels like it only got better. It feels like it's the light at the end of the tunnel. We went through a lot to get it done. One of my favorite songs went missing. This track had the most harmonies and it took so many sessions. So the EP being released now is better than it would have been back then. And that's why I feel like everything worked out the way it was supposed to with this EP, so I definitely think we made it to the top.
LUNA: Awesome! It seems like everything worked out. And wow, that's crazy — how did the track get lost?
ANITA: We were working on the last song and we were mixing it. We had plans to release it in early 2022, and then my producer and I went to finish mixing it and he goes, "I can't find it!"
LUNA: Wow! I bet your heart stopped.
ANITA: Yes, I was like, "What are we gonna do?!" But things happen for a reason (laughs).
LUNA: I guess they do (laughs). I know you released three singles already, "On Me," "Routine (Put it Down)," and "Spend the Night" off the EP. Which of the new tracks are you most excited for people to listen to?
ANITA: There are only three more new tracks that haven’t been heard, so we're halfway there. I'm excited for “Pray.” It’s a ballad, and I'm so excited for that one because I feel like I always do upbeat stuff because that's just kind of how I am and that's just kind of what I was raised on. But I love a good and passionate ballad. What I’m also excited about [are] the harmonies. I love harmonies. I love the kind of church feel that it has. Even the lyricism on the track [is great]. So I’m excited. I would say this track definitely showcases [how] I can have the “On Me” type of tracks but I also can have something that is not just fun but something that people can also sing along to. Kind of like how everyone was singing “No Air” by Jordan Sparks and Chris Brown back in the day (laughs). I wanted “Pray” to be that kind of song. That wasn't my intent, but it just happened that way to where everyone who's heard the unreleased songs, that’s their favorite too.
LUNA: Nice! I listened to some of your new songs briefly so I definitely have to do a deep dive on the whole EP. I'm really excited to see the whole thing come together. So far, “On Me” and “Spend the Night '' are my favorites so far.
ANITA: I love “Spend the Night,” and within my friend group they weren't loving it as much as I did. I believe in this song. They know what’s to come and they liked the song enough. But they loved “Routine (Put It Down)” and “On Me” more. They also love “Pray” more. All the tracks are good to them. But “Spend the Night” was not one of the ones they were just raving about.
LUNA: How does it feel to have your first full EP out?
ANITA: With Anticipation, I feel like I'm just in my anticipatory phase. I don't know if that’s even grammatically correct (laughs). But I feel like I'm in that phase. I’m in that waiting season where I feel like I'm just building up. I'm not at that point where I could just say, “I'm there.” I can't make it seem like my confidence is 100% all the time. I haven't made it, but I do have confidence in my abilities. I love the hunger that comes with that build-up. Remember when we go back and think about the younger version of our favorite artists and how they just didn't care? They were all gas, with no brakes. That's how I feel. And that's why Anticipation has been the name. I don't know when I got the idea. I just know that for the last three years my project [has been] called Anticipation to kind of just state what this project is and how it's going to be the pathway to a much bigger career, much bigger opportunities, and things like that.
LUNA: Who or what inspires you musically?
ANITA: Musically, I'm inspired by so many people. I'm like a sponge. When my brother and I were growing up, we were big on Maroon 5 and Justin Timberlake. We also loved listening to mixtape Drake and mixtape J. Cole. And growing up, of course, I loved Destiny's Child, Aaliyah, and Beyoncé. I also love Toni Braxton. I have a deeper tone and I used to hate my voice, and my dad was just like, “There are so many people that have a deeper, raspy voice.” And once I got into Toni Braxton and Mary J. Blige, I definitely began embracing my voice more because of that.
With my sound, my music is inspired by Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Drake, and Doja Cat. They’re not limited to a box, and they're genuine creatives. I also don't know if it's politically correct to say this but Kanye West was a big inspiration. It’s so sad because I feel like I can't say that publicly now. But he's a musical genius and I’m heavily inspired by his lyricism and production [his creativity]. I’m inspired by his confidence in his own music. I know people would say he’s extremely controversial but I want to love my own work that much. Why have everyone else tell me something's not good if I think it's good. So in terms of confidence, that’s where that inspiration comes from.
I am driven by the experimental music of Beyoncé as well because every album of hers is different and they're all bangers. Lyrics-wise, honestly, I've noticed this about myself lately [that] whatever I'm listening to a lot at that time inspires me. I’m currently listening to a lot of rap lately and [I love the] lyricism in rap … it makes me think, “Why can't singers have bars?” (Laughs) Like, why do we always have to sing about love and stuff? So that tough mentality or that City Girls [mentality is what inspires me]. Like, what if I don’t want to be in the soft girl era all the time? What if I'm the player? What if I'm whatever I'm listening to at the time? So recently, from a lyrical standpoint, it's been a lot of rap, a lot of harmonies, and old-school music.
LUNA: That’s awesome! I like your take on music, and I feel like you're definitely embracing experimentation. In terms of Kanye West, I agree with the talent he has musically. There’s nothing wrong with giving credit where it’s due. He is a musical genius. It’s unfortunate that he’s extremely controversial for saying and doing a lot of bad things. He definitely is a pioneer in music and has inspired several artists in some way, shape, or form. I find it great that you can source inspiration from many different outlets. Speaking of outlets, what brings you joy?
ANITA: I feel like a lot of things bring me joy but I would say being around my loved ones. I don't take that for granted at all anymore, especially after COVID-19. And creating also brings me joy. I love that joyous moment before you get critical. The moment where you're just creating and you're not thinking about, “Is this good? Or, “Is this not good?” You're just doing it. I hate that phase afterward though, which is the critical part. That does not give me joy (laughs). But the initial thought of creating brings me joy.
LUNA: Nice! Any plans for 2023?
ANITA: If the timing goes well, I'm hoping for visuals and more singles. I want to focus a little less on projects. Last year, with how everything went missing with a song or one song taking forever to get mixed, I realized projects take a really long time. And I'm not in a space where I can hold on to stuff or take my time when I have a whole bunch of things recorded. I am at a place where I need to see what sticks and see what performs well and get used to pushing things without having to have a full project to do that. So I'm definitely hoping for more visuals, more live performances, and more singles.
LUNA: That sounds like a lot of good plans for 2023! The last question is for fun but it may be hard, so I apologize ahead of time (laughs). If you can choose your top three favorite songs you’d dance to for the rest of your life, what are they going to be? And you could only pick three!
ANITA: Oh man… This is tough (laughs). I'm trying to think of choreography... I'm gonna say “Deja Vu” by Beyoncé, “Rock The Boat” by Aaliyah, and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” by Micheal Jackson.
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