anaiis is a London-based artiste who was born in Toulouse and raised in a myriad of places, including Dublin, California, and Dakar, before finally settling in London. With this kind of background, anaiss carries different cultures and experiences with her, which she channels into her music. Speaking to Notion magazine, she says, "I think it's given me a large pool of influences, sounds, and stories to pull from." 

Finding Feminism and Pan Africanist Solidarity Through Music

This "traveller" aura, as she so mystically puts it, is captured in her debut album, this is no longer a dream, an eclectic genre mix of alternative RnB and neo-soul. The 12-track project has big features from the likes of Topaz Jones and Chronnix, incorporating sounds from across the diaspora.

Again, speaking to Notion Magazine, she comments that the purpose of her debut was to share her most vulnerable self through introspective lyrics of healing, hope, and self-embrace. She further reveals these intentions in a Facebook post regarding her release: "Despite all of this, it's been hard to celebrate this arrival without drifting into feelings of fear and of shame. I've spent the last few days trying to learn what celebrating myself really looks like. Verbalising the gratitude, counting the blessings, and allowing myself to feel proud- a door which only ever seems to be cracked and never fully open; this is the moment I have to kick it down and let the excitement sink in!!" 

Her music is deep, soulful, and very personal, carried along by a smooth, lilting voice. anaiis' music is special in that she not only sings but tells stories, using powerful visual poetry, surrealism, and even short films to transfix and transport listeners into different worlds and experiences. For anaiis, this is exactly the effect she's aiming for, as she hopes to draw her audience into her psyche so as to "feel" with her. Thus, a recurring theme in her work is the exploration of self-identity and culture. "I felt like I just wasn't from anywhere, and I didn't particularly fit into anything", she tells Wonderland Magazine.

Home

anaiis sings in both French and English, showing off her hybrid upbringing and outlook. The use of Senegalese percussion is heavily evident in her work as in "Nina", which was shot on the island of Goree, Senegal, where her father is from. The visually stunning video gives an ode to the musician's roots, which plays a huge part in her music. Elements of her journey as an artiste, her most intimate experiences as a young Black woman, and how she's grown from that create the backbone of her newest album. The video for "Nina" encapsulates day-to-day life in Senegal, expressed through the varied use of Black models - for instance, those with albinism, those who are more mature - which show the diversity of local life. 

In this particular single, anaiis is singing about fear, with the video examining the different ways in which this emotion manifests. A gender non-conforming Black man is shown to step out in confidence, unafraid of what people may think - along with people with albinism standing proud in their skin. "Do what you want, say what you feel" is a powerful refrain sung throughout. "I'll tell you what freedom is to me, no fear", is another.

In January of last year, she hosted TedX Talk on self-liberation, where she revealed that she literally went mute for almost half a year due to struggles with self-identity and fear. Thus, this song marks a return to self, with self-governance and advocacy at the forefront. 

Journaling the Back of the Mind with Kilma كلمة 

Hope and healing

anaiis is keen to communicate vulnerability and self-acceptance in her music. Seeing that the world is in disarray due to the pandemic, a lot of helplessness is bound to permeate, especially amongst young people. In "Juno", anaiis' breathtaking vocals instil the message that it is okay to not be okay, "You're not alone, you're just lonely/ But you can always call on me." She sings of hope and finding healing and externalising help when need be, drawing from her personal trauma to iterate this notion. She found herself homeless last year, and in 2018, the singer felt compelled to cut ties with her previous record label due to release delays of her debut album and facing pressure to meet unrealistic timelines that she felt stunted her creativity. In response to these hardships, she launched her own imprint, Dream Sequence Recordings, under which she released her debut album.

anaiis sings with such raw candidness and from a place of vulnerability that it is almost impossible to not just stop and reflect for a minute. From her music, we understand that there's still hope and healing comes however long it takes.  

Black womanhood and mental health  

anaiis seeks to not only celebrate women she knows personally but the general essence of 'woman'. In the aforementioned TedX Talk, she references her single "Woman" as a means of expressing her empowerment journey. She said, "I wrote it in honour of all of the superwomen in my life, but I've realised recently that what it really is is a mantra for me. It's an invitation towards self-love and self-acceptance. It's a reminder that all of those traits that I admire in these great women also exist within me. They just needed to be nurtured. It is an empowering piece praising the very essence that is woman and positively reaffirms in every verse with words such as 'goddess of the sea' and "she who breathes into life."

On Black women and mental health, anaiis reiterates, "Black women deserve to experience peace of mind, rest, and joy. I want to uphold the idea that mental health is worth prioritising in our lives. It is as important if not more important than our physical health. I also want to help make some of these conversations more common and somehow make some resources more accessible."

anaiis continues to share parts of herself with the world in her rhythmic, cathartic tracks. And she does this to perfection through her well-thought-out videos, installations, and visual stunts. She is doing what art was meant to do: change perspectives, educate, and in the process, allow for some introspection.