SANNIA Bears It All On Her Debut Album “James”
By: Chris Buxton IG: @chrisbuxtonllg
Have you ever been in an on-again-off again relationship that brought you your highest of highs & lowest of lows? If so, you understand how these relationships can have an impact on how you see yourself. As a person that had a fiery love that quickly led to heartbreak, I realized that I lost who I was in hindsight. Recently, I came across an artist that depicted these feelings, and her name is SANNIA. Hailing from Australia, SANNIA is one of the most polarizing singer-songwriters coming from the “Down Under”. She is raw, daring, and her songwriting is relatable. She initially she caught my attention with her single “Go And Get Over” in 2018, and she has continued to grow as a singer. Drawing comparisons to a young Adele, SANNIA’s commanding voice is what pulls you in as a listener. Now, she enters our pages with debut album “James”.
“James” is cohesive album that takes listeners on a sonic journey of love, pain, & self-discovery. It is a coming of age tale of leaving one’s old self for a new beginning. The album focusses on SANNIA’s on-again-off-again relationship of her late teens and early twenties, and the emotional impact it had on her life and her self-confidence. Over the 13-track album, SANNIA bears it all. Her songwriting dives into the inner battles one has with themselves when juggling the hardship of a relationship while also growing up. Her vocal tones fit each song sonically, and her vocal delivery is exceptional. In addition, to vocal approach and captivating sonics, I loved the songwriting it its entirety. James is the culmination of five years of SANNIA's life, a fusion of alternative, contemporary, and dance pop which is a searingly honest, heart on the sleeve presentation of pain and redemption in life and love.
SANNIA states, “James’ is an album bound by the common thread that ties together some of my most powerful songs; an on-again-off-again relationship that spanned from my late teens into my early twenties. As with most relationships at that age, it had a really profound impact on how I saw myself, how I saw others, and how I treated myself. It led to me re-examining all my pieces in entirety and putting myself back together in the aftermath.”
My favorite tracks from the project were “daylight” & “trigger”. “trigger” is a self-reflective single that is carried by melancholic lyrics. I loved the record sonically. “daylight” is a bright record that has relatable lyrics that pull at your heartstrings as a listener. The track highlights her growth as a singer and songwriter. Working with industry giants Andy Mak (Vera Blue, Kita Alexander), Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy), Gab Strum (Greta Ray, Eliott), Toby Dundas (Temper Trap), Jackson Barclay (Maddy Jane) and Colin Leadbetter (Whitley), SANNIA has taken her craft to the next level. She has the “IT” factor, and the rest of the world is catching on to one of the most polarizing acts!
