Admittedly her name provides some context clues, but it is not hard to figure out that Anna of the North is Scandinavian. Her dreamy, delicate voice instantly calls to mind northern lights and frozen lakes, which her producer, a New Zealand native, expertly merges with his unique, woozy, key-infused beats. The final product is lush, poppy, and one of Norway’s greatest exports since Lutefisk.
Most people probably heard “Sway” for the first time in the form of The Chainsmoker’s remix, which recently knocked Kendrick Lamar out of the No. 1 spot on Hype Machine. This exposure is undoubtedly great for Anna, but her original is worth much more attention—it has a light and hypnotizing quality that the remix doesn’t quite capture. The song itself may be one of the most onomatopoeic things I’ve ever heard, considering that I caught myself unintentionally swaying back and forth multiple times during my first listen.
Although Anna of the North has very little other material out right now, she’s clearly an incredibly talented young artist and someone you should watch.