Anna Clendening, Evolve Review

Rising pop singer-songwriter Anna Clendening is now releasing her debut EP Evolve on Atlantic Records. Clendening has struck a chord with listeners everywhere, starting with her release “Boys Like You” in 2017, which earned her an RIAA-certified Gold single. The song has gained over 100 million streams and critical acclaim from the likes of Billboard, Ones To Watch, Refinery29 & more. Her debut EP, 2019’s Waves, generated over 150 million streams in under six months as she joined gnash on the road and headlined her own Waves Tour. Clendening has also lent her voice to high-profile collaborations with Illenium (“Broken Ones”), Lost Kings (“Too Far Gone”), Phantoms (“Say It”), and most recently Matoma (“Let It Go”) before signing to Atlantic Records earlier this year.

Bottom Line:  Evolve is a 5-track EP that showcases the Chapel Hill-born, Los Angeles-based artist’s introspective songwriting and knack for memorable choruses. Two of the five tracks are previously released singles “Sorry That I Do That” and “Get Me.” Along with the EP, a video for the song “Love Song” is also being released. Joe DeSantis directs the music video for the song, which was co-penned by Clendening and Sam Fisher. Clendening explains the impetus behind Evolve, “After many attempts at failed relationships, I have finally come to realize I need to love myself first before anyone else. This EP is a reflection of the things I’ve done and the progress I have made. This is a story of growth, of evolving. About five years ago, someone came up to me and said, ‘By fighting through your anxiety in this huge, uncomfortable moment on stage, you made me feel so comfortable,’” shares Clendening. “I was like, ‘Well shit, now I’m in it. I’ve got to be open about it.’ I want you to be able to scream my music in the car. I want you to feel like the things going through your head are normal. I want you to feel empowered. I want you to feel loved. I am loud. I am obnoxious. I am a potty mouth. I’m very emotional. I write music. I wear sweatpants. I’m myself. I’m just fucking human, man.” “Call It Like It Is” is Clendening’s warm voice singing the first section of the form with a solid acoustic guitar accompaniment. The storyline is something we have all wanted to say at least once in our life. “Love Song” is a mellow pop song that is well-written and unfolds with thoughtful lyrics and a catchy chorus with a hip harmonic, melodic relationship. Overall, Evolve is a beautiful collection of singing and songwriting, and that’s the short of it!

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