EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Annalise Azadian

Singer under the esteemed label
Sony Music & The Orchard.

Conducted by Guillaume Jean Lefebvre

1. Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers who don't know you?

Hi, I'm Annalise Azadian, a singer-songwriter, musician, and recording artist. Over the past 10 years, I've been pursuing my dream as an independent artist, releasing music and honing my craft. I have a deep passion for fashion and was born in Middletown, NY, before moving to NYC at the age of 16 to fully dedicate myself to my artistic journey. I currently reside in the Bronx, and I take pride in being a true New Yorker through and through. I consider myself a unique individual, always striving to improve and deliver my best in everything I create. At my core, I am an artist through and through, and that essence defines who I am.

2. You released your new music video "Life Of The Party" through Sony Music & The Orchard. Can you tell us more about it? What was your inspiration?

"Life of the Party" marks a significant milestone for me as it is my first song released through a label partnership with Sony Music and The Orchard. I'm incredibly excited to have their support behind this project. The inspiration for the music video came from the lyrics of the song's hook, which I randomly came up with almost two years ago. It expresses my thoughts and feelings towards the party scene, where I typically find myself gravitating towards the corners of the room rather than being the center of attention. I consider myself somewhat of a wallflower, observing the vibrant energy of the party from a unique perspective.

Being an artist especially in 2021, it seems like you are expected to be an outgoing extravagant person where you put everything in your life on a screen and let the world get to know you, but truthfully, that is not who I am. I am solely in it for the art, to express myself in the way that's true to me in song and visual expression. I am not about latching onto trends and following a crowd. In the video I play along to the double meaning on the song where I am more than capable of being this persona and receiving this attention but at the end of the day it doesn't move me, and it is not who I am at heart. There is a distinct detachment that I am expressing I have felt many times before in a social setting. The video goes from a lively house party to myself in the middle of a desert alone. The opening is me being the Life Of The Party where everyone wants me to party with them to me in a solo shot, whilst I’m often deep in thought in the middle of nowhere.

This month, Eclair magazine is thrilled to present the talented Annalise Azadian

In an exclusive interview, Annalise Azadian opens up about her latest release titled "Life Of The Party," which is produced under the esteemed label Sony Music & The Orchard. Collaborating with renowned producers such as H.E.R and Kehlani, as well as Grammy Award-winning producer Swagg R'Celious, Annalise Azadian demonstrates her exceptional musical prowess.

Despite being at the early stages of her career, this young singer has already had the privilege of working with icons such as Tommy Hilfiger, The Billionaire Boy's, and the legendary Pharrell Williams. Her ability to attract such high-profile collaborations is a testament to her undeniable talent and the impression she has made in the industry.

Join us as we delve into the captivating world of Annalise Azadian, a rising star who is making waves with her extraordinary voice and remarkable achievements.

INTERVIEW

3. For this project to be successful, you collaborated with one of the best. A producer, 4 time grammy nominee, award winning producer, Swagg R'Celious, who produced H.E.R. & Kehlani. How did the meeting go? What will you take away from this collaboration?

It has been an honor to work with the Grammy Award winning producer, Swagg and collaborate with him on “Life of The Party”. The genre of the song is a bit more pop and dance than my previous releases and this was the influence of Swagg. It was awesome getting to try something new and being pushed out of my comfort zone by someone of such great skill. I am also really looking forward to releasing the other new music we are making together.

4. Although your new single is called "Life of the Party" you have indicated that you secretly hate parties. You subtly made this reference in your video clip. Singers, or other artists are ultimately very associated with the world of nightlife, parties of all kinds, promotions and others ... This environment is often seen sometimes as superficial but inevitable as an artist in a world where everything goes faster than the rest.

What do you have to say to all those introverted artists who also "secretly" love solitude and "secretly" hate parties?

Yes, the song is about secretly not always loving the party scene. It doesn’t mean I don’t like to go out from time to time with friends and have a good time but I’m not into the party lifestyle and I’m not looking to be the center of attention and attend the hottest nightclubs or get on all those guest lists. I believe there are many more artists than we think that feel this way, not always enjoying the limelight as much as they might have to show the world that they do. Being an artist that has a goal to be known for their music and highly respected, it can be kind of contradictory (to not want to always be the center of attention) knowing what comes along with success - social media pressures and fame for example. It's something that I cannot explain but I do think many artists can relate with me on this. Peace of mind, personal space and solitude is so important in living a healthy life with a strong mental well-being. As an artist you can be subject to so much criticism, everything is magnified, and people want you to fit a stereotype; but at the end of the day you are a human just like anybody else. I feel when I get on stage I turn into another person, but when I am just Annalise the regular girl sometimes, I just want to check out, especially in social settings.

5. Why did you want to point the finger at this contradiction as these are two facets of your personality in your new music video "Life of the Party"?

I wanted to point the finger at the two-sided theme of Life of the Party, one that is about being spotlighted and one about not being that into it. It feels like a contradiction, but it is very real and personal to me and I wanted to share my view on this to the world through the lyrics, storytelling and especially the music video. Sometimes people may perceive me as standoffish or think I am acting like I am too good for them because of the career I have chosen. In reality that is not the case. I often overthink many things in my life which is why sometimes I feel it's better to say nothing in a social setting, than say the wrong thing, so I tend to come off shy. At the other end of the spectrum, I can get in front of thousands of people and perform so I can understand why others could be confused by this. At the end of the day, that's just my reality and I wanted to shed light on it. One underlying message, if you relate to the video, is that we do not know what people go through, and we shouldn’t judge or discriminate just because things can look a certain way.

6. Do you think that each artist internally feels a little lonely? If so, why? Do you think this fuels their creativity or deduct from it?

I can’t speak to all music artists, but I do think that artists can internally feel lonely. I think the reason is because creative people sometimes find it harder to relate to others. You can be in a crowded room and still feel lonely, maybe even sometimes it may feel even worse than being alone because you feel you need to look engaged and interested and you think to yourself that you should feel great being surrounded by people. I think a part of an artist's storytelling is derived from pain and experiences that they’ve had that were filled with hurt (or happiness) and the way they expressed themselves through art is their creative genius. This is why creative people are so special and can make you “feel” their artistry. Be it the thousands of emotions in that song, the details of an art sculpture, painting, or whatever form it is, great art drives connection and emotion. I think being alone can also help you discover yourself and enhance your art expression.

7. Do you have any desire to collaborate with French artists whose work you admire? If so, which artist?

That is a super interesting question as I want to be a truly global artist and do collaborations with artists from different parts of the world. Last year my track Without You featured neo-soul artist Jooyoung from Korea. It would be a dream to work with Daft Punk. They have always inspired me and have done such amazing collaborations with other artists. A producer I previously worked with was obsessed with them and we talked about their musical style all the time. Getting to work with them would be an awesome full circle moment for me. We could make a mega hit together!

Photographer: Aldous Heaven

8. The covid virus disrupted many projects, especially in the art world. Do you have other projects in preparation? Are you going to release a new album?

Covid has been a whirlwind and the pandemic has changed the world as we know it. When the quarantine first started, I kept busy working on my short film and rollout for my independent project “Six Weeks of 7.” It was nice getting to focus without the distraction of needing to be at events and different things like that. I don't think the world expected to be at a standstill for this long. It has definitely been a scary, uneasy ride with the unknowing of what is to come next. Many prayers and blessings to the families and individuals affected by Covid. Despite not being able to tour, I think that a lot of music artists like myself, have used the time to reflect and to create more great music. I am excited to have new music in the works and I will be dropping a few new singles in the next few months. As to your questions on when I will release my album - I am always thinking about my album as a body of work and I hope to be ready with that sometime next year.

9. As a fashion magazine, it's impossible not to talk about your unique wardrobe style. This allowed you to collaborate with the best in this field such as Tommy Hilfiger, The Billionaire Boy's and even Pharell Williams. Can you tell us more about that? What was your reaction?

I am so happy you asked me about my style and partnerships. I always had a niche for wearing things differently and always received compliments on my style but this really just came from me being unafraid to try new things. I never thought it would land me campaigns with legendary fashion brands, but it has been such a blessing. Collaborating with Tommy Hilfiger was awesome because it was an unexpected surprise. The brand has been around since 1985 and has had an impact in hip-hop music culture, which has been cool to first hand witness: For me, getting to be a part of this legacy and working with the Hilfigers directly was surreal. I’ve worked with Pharrell’s brand, “Billionaire Boys Club” for years now and they gave me my leap of faith into modeling. I worked for their flagship retail store for a few years and then got picked up to model for their campaigns. Incredibly, shortly thereafter, they asked me to work for them on creative directing shoots and getting my hands on the planning and behind the scenes planning that comes with their projects. I love working with them both behind and in front of the camera. It has been such a fun and powerful experience.

10. How will you define your relationship with fashion? Do you want to become the image of a luxury brand?

I love fashion. I love it because it is a way to express yourself as you and only you. For me fashion is a form of my self-expression and individualism. I’m cool to wear the same thing as someone else but I add my own style and twist to make it look completely different and personal. I think that's what is special about fashion, your aura can shine through no matter the color, texture or size of your outfit. I also love wearing 1of1 custom pieces made only for me because I know I am the only one in the world with it. I would love to become the face of many brands, both high-end and streetwear brands. In particular, I love Japanese streetwear culture. My dream is to have my own global brand one day that will be as big as Rihanna’s Fenty brand.

11. What can we wish you the best for the rest of 2021 and 2022? What dreams do you want to come true?

I want all my dreams to come true – don’t you? My focus for the rest of 2021 and 2022 is touring. I would love to travel the country and the world touring my best music yet. I would love to share my gift with the world and experience new ways of life and culture. I would love to become an international music icon.

12. Although you are still a young artist that we will surely hear more about in the years to come, we end with the key question from Eclair Magazine which is: If you had one piece of advice for the child you were, what would it be?

If I had advice for my past self, I would encourage her to stay resilient, determined and inspired. Enjoy the journey!

Credit:

Courtesy of Sony Music / The Orchard
Model: Annalise Azadian @annaliseazadian
Photographer: Aldous Heaven & Sesar Martinez
Makeup Artist: Penepole Sierra @penelopeplzz