- 2023-07-29
-
MUSIC
-
Anne-Marie Releases New Album “UNHEALTHY” featuring Aitch, Shania Twain & Khalid
British singer-songwriter Anne-Marie released her third studio album “UNHEALTHY” on July 28, 2023 via Asylum Records.
It is her first album in two years since the 2021 album “Therapy”.
The album comprises 13-track (deluxe edition 16-track), featuring guest appearances from Aitch, Shania Twain, and Khalid.
Produced by Evan Blair, Billen Ted, Mojam, Connor McDonough, and Riley McDonough.
She made the sophomore album during lockdown with having weekly therapy sessions.
But she began to feel a little too steady after the release of “Therapy”.
Then, she quit having therapy and accepted her emotions, like crazy, sad, and angry, which were inspired for the third album.
Anne-Marie told Jessie Ware and Lennie Ware on Tale Manners, "When I started therapy in lockdown, that's when I started writing the second album, so it was all very much about self improvement, you know, figuring out my brain and all those techniques my therapist was telling me. I felt like I went into therapy because I was quite numb to emotions and then I came out of therapy numb to emotions in another way.”- XJE1xAQg_bA
She continued, “I just learned so much on how to understand everything and deal with things that I just didn't feel extreme anger, extreme sadness or extreme happiness anymore. I was back on the middle road. And I kinda missed those extremities again so I stopped therapy, I do it every now and again, but it was like a weekly thing for years. So the second album was very much like that, you know, calm and collected. So in the process of this new album I just wanted to feel everything again."
She told Apple Music, “I've tried to be myself as much as I can be on every record. But on my first, I didn't really know who I was as an artist, if I'm being honest. I was just making music. The second was about being really honest about what I'd learned in therapy. But it seems the third album is when I've actually worked out who I am as a human. I've got to a point where I feel confident, where I love myself and feel happy. And I think that reflects in the music. What do I hope people take away from it? Not to live their life for other people, accept who they are and be unafraid to show people who that is. I hope people feel the strength to fully be themselves, do what they want to do, and get out of relationships they feel unhappy in.”-
Anne-Marie explained about some tracks for the album via Apple Music.
“PSYCHO”
“The song 'PSYCHO' was about saying, 'Fuck you. Maybe I am a bit crazy, but I love it!' But also: 'I've done some crazy stuff in my past but I definitely didn't deserve that.' The piano reminded me of The Pink Panther theme tune - like it was creeping up on something. It was cool and understated but suspenseful. I think we all felt catharsis when we made that song. It was late at night and we were all just lying on the floor, feeling free.”
“GRUDGE”
“I've always wanted to write a song about getting your ex back, but in therapy, I was like, 'No no, don't write a song about that, you should just let it go.' We came up with the line 'My therapist said, “Keep calm and don't react,”' and the rest of 'GRUDGE' came. It felt fun. I was googling the craziest stuff people have done to get their exes back. One person put cling film all around their ex's car against a lamppost and I was like, 'This is the best.' I have tattoos on my body of what friends have taught me in life, and one on my shoulder said, 'Forgiveness,' after my friend Beanie, who is so good at forgiving people. But I thought to myself, 'I don't want to do that. I don't want to forgive people if they've mugged me off or gone too far.' The tattoo is half-removed because I don't want that in my life.”
“OBSESSED”
“An unhealthy relationship also comes from, honestly, me being completely obsessed with someone. With 'OBSESSED,' I wanted to go back to my musical theater days and couldn't get the Oliver! song 'I'd Do Anything' out of my head. We were in America and I walked into the studio and said I thought the chorus should be, 'I'd do anything for you, boy, anything.' Oliver! mustn't have been big there because they were all like, 'Wow, that's amazing!' There was definitely an owning thing [on this album].”
“KILLS ME TO LOVE YOU” and “NEVER LOVED ANYONE BEFORE”
“Even the love songs on this album are very twisted. 'KILLS ME TO LOVE YOU' and 'NEVER LOVED ANYONE BEFORE' are weird titles to have on something about love. I could write a love song that's just completely beautiful, and butterflies and all of that, but that's just not what happens. 'KILLS ME TO LOVE YOU' is my version of love. It's weirdly celebrating crazy love, because I was with someone before that had a different version of that, and it didn't work.”
“UNHEALTHY” featuring Shania Twain
“At first, the word “unhealthy” was about food. Then “unhealthy” became about relationships. Food, OCD routines that you have, your own thoughts can all be unhealthy. But during that session in LA, we also landed on relationships. And the idea that they can be unhealthy when your friends and family aren't 100 percent in it, like, 'No babe, they're not the one. They're not good enough for you. You can find someone better.' And I just felt like people should do whatever they want to do—and if the person isn't right for them, they'll figure it out and learn from it. That's what the title track with Shania Twain is all about. With 'UNHEALTHY,' I just knew Shania Twain would be perfect for it. When she came back, I was amazed. Was it validating to have someone like her on one of my songs? Absolutely. She is such a big star to [women of my age group], and she's been doing it for so long.”
“CUCKOO”
“On 'CUCKOO,' it was about saying, 'Before you get into this with me, I want to let you know exactly who I am. And if you stay, you stay, and if you don't, fine.' It felt powerful to get with someone and be your complete self right from the start. It was owning it and saying, 'This is who I am.'”
“YOU & I” featuring Khalid
“I wrote 'YOU & I' [featuring Khalid] to show people where I am in the relationship now. And I needed it to be the end of the album, because I didn't want people to think I was actually nuts! It's just a really beautiful song, and I'm so glad that Khalid did it as well, because his voice just fit perfectly. When I listen to that song, it makes me emotional. Because I don't think I ever thought that I would find love like it. When you find that person, nothing else matters. Everything is OK and every element of life is easier.” - source : Apple Music
