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Photo: Deanie Chen

We always wonder what inspires, promotes, and motivates the bad bitches out there to be so fearless and innovative. Annalise Azadian is one such daring example, a young singer-songwriter whose sound and style contrast but retain all the edges of a great pop performer. Wanting to know more about her style, sound, and early success, we reached out to dig into her latest effort, "Bad Bitch," and what else she has going on. 

Ones To Watch: Who is Annalise Azadian? 

Annalise Azadian: Hey, I’m Annalise Azadian, and I’d like to define myself as a genre-bending artist. I’m a singer-soulwriter and multi-instrumentalist from New York, and that's definitely influenced who I am as a person and artist. I have experimented with a ton of different sounds and styles and find that people have a hard time fitting me into a box, which I personally love cause I like to keep people guessing. I love to create in general, design, anything art related is how I express myself best. 

You have a very unique aesthetic; how did you settle on your visuals?

Thank you! I honestly just like to represent all the sides of me which I usually express in my music and then story tell it to life through my visuals. Every time I create, I feel deeply. Depending on my emotions on the day I wrote the song, I have a specific message and theme I’m trying to get across. I try my best to represent that in my videos from colors to aesthetics, style/creative direction. I usually think of the craziest idea possible, make a moodboard and then execute it with my amazing videographer/director Steve Muelz.  

What is "Bad Bitch" all about?

"Bad Bitch" is a song about a woman finally standing her ground in a playful, soft yet blunt manner. Recognizing her worth and not settling for less than who she is a “Bad Bitch.” This definition though to me is about WHO she is on the inside and not necessarily just on the outside. Mind, body, soul. How she carries herself, a boss bitch = a bad bitch. It’s important to be confident in yourself, and as I get older, I’m trying to walk more in that than my insecurities.

Any collaborators? Who produced the track?

I wrote this song originally on my guitar at home, recorded a voice note then brought it into the studio where I worked with engineer Alonzo Vargas to lay down the structure. We then sent it to a producer that wanted to take a shot at building it up, Mike Baretz. He turned the guitar into a really cool Bossa Nova vibe, added sounds that brought a completely unique flavor to the track that was unusual for me, but fun.

How did your sound evolve on this latest release?

Personally, I think my sound always stays similar with my songwriting and vocal tone as far as people recognizing who I am as an artist. I think of beats almost as features in a way. I like to stay as versatile and adaptable as I can. There are still so many barriers to break.  

Can we expect more of this style in the future, potentially on an upcoming album?

 In the future, you can expect great music! I am constantly challenging myself and pushing myself to new heights musically. I do have an EP dropping on November 11, Imposter Syndrome, where I titled it this because this is something I dealt with for the past two years. The fight between trying new genres and going back to my roots just me and my guitar in search of mastery in my artistry. Constantly finding and losing myself in that process, but nonetheless making timeless records.  

Besides this excellent single, what else should we be on the lookout for?

Along with this year’s Imposter Syndrome EP, next year I will be dropping a bunch of music out of the vault, songs I've had stored for years and have to share with the world sooner or later. I’ve also created a ton of new music that I love when I was invited to a writing camp a few months ago with the production group, LockNKey at this place called The Goose. I got to work with amazing musicians! I’m also currently in the process of learning how to record myself at home and produce my own songs entirely which has been a humbling experience but I know it will be worth it. 

What's inspiring you right now outside of music?

Outside of music, I have been inspired by making clothes and my own product merch. I have my brand dropping this fall that includes some leather belts and bags I designed. This has been a dream for a while since I've always been into streetwear fashion and culture, growing up skateboarding and playing basketball. I have modeled and produced shoots for other brands and still am, but I am excited to put that energy into my own line. I've been working on this for the past year and I'm finally almost at the point of sharing, I am a bit of a perfectionist. 

Your soapbox, anything you want to say or shout out? 

Just wanna say if you are reading this, keep going! There's so much life to live and so many things to accomplish. Go for the thing that sounds impossible, manifest the life you wanna live. Would love it if you guys tuned in to my music and would join me on this journey. @AnnaliseAzadian on all platforms. Sit back, laugh, and occasionally cry with me! lol 

Musically, who is making all the right moves?

Musically, I believe the ones making all the right moves are so many great underground, independent artists up-and-coming, especially from New York. It's definitely a tough journey and staying consistent is a rollercoaster ride. Much respect to everyone pursuing their dreams even in today's climate. Definitely would like to shout out to some super talented friends of mine, Hailey Knox, Nate Joel, Iman Nunez, Millyz, and Riotusa to name a few.

Who are your Ones To Watch?

My Ones To Watch would currently be Teezo Touchdown. He actually inspired my visualizer for "Bad Bitch." The moment I was introduced to his music, his creative eye and uniqueness stood out to me right away. I was instantly inspired from the details and authenticity in his videos as well. That's big to me as an artist, I love a well-thought-out package and rollout. I love when people put time into the art and create something no one has seen before rather than jumping on bandwagons just caring about a moment instead of building longevity.