Anna Storm – Versace Shade

By starrymag | February 9, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) I would describe my sound as upbeat, catchy, infectious, confident and slay. It’s bouncy pop music to dance to when you’re at the club and doing shots with your friend, putting on makeup while looking at yourself in the mirror and marveling at how fine you are and just overall the best thing to listen to when you want to forget your troubles, #slaylife and feel good! It’s the perfect blend of pop, dance and hip-hop.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Some of my musical influences are from the pop and rap genres. Watching a lot of the 90s/2000s divas on MTV inspired me to start singing and writing: Mariah Carey, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore, TLC— I admired their style and artistry and channeled it into the development of my own. Also, I am definitely musically influenced by the confidence and swagger in hip-hop— I love rap and frequently listened to Jay-Z, The Clipse (Pusha T), Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, etc. Musically, I always wanted to strive to blend elements of pop and rap together in my own music.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Versace Shade.”

A) I really wanted to make a dance and feel-good party anthem, so my producer Josh Stevens and I started brainstorming together in writing sessions. We ended up gravitating to an 80s new wave sound— the instrumental which became “Versace Shade.” With the lyrics I wanted to write a song which went into my social media persona and the opinions behind it, but also empower listeners to just dance, be fabulous and forget their concerns about other people’s opinions. The result of these sentiments was this song that I think has the ability to make anyone dance and uplift their spirits, especially in these trying times.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) I think fans connect to the positivity and upbeat nature of the song. With so much hardship going on in the world right now, people are looking for a distraction and escape from the madness— music has always been a perfect way to escape. Listening to an infectious party anthem like “Versace Shade” is what the public needs right now— they long to dance and feel beautiful— that they can still #slaylife despite anything which is thrown at them. That’s why fans are bumping this song, and why my brand resonates with people: it’s all about self-love and realizing your worth!

 

Q) What made you decide to trick the song out with an 80’s vibe?

A) The 80s were an over-the-top time where anything went as far as music, trends, attitude and fashion. It was all about being unapologetic, experimental, bold and in your face. I feel like “Anna Storm” echoes a lot of these same 80s era characteristics, so naturally I wanted to try and permeate it into my actual music. I want fans to always know that they should always embrace who they are and believe that they can achieve anything, so being bold, fierce and unapologetic in your own identity is a must!

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) The visual video for “Versace Shade” is very trippy, colorful and quirky. Throughout most of it, I’m just casually dancing in one of my signature cut-out one pieces, silk kimono and blinged out pink sunglasses, which alternates with images of dancing cats. I am dancing, loving myself and feeling myself like no one is watching— and that’s what this track is about. I’m welcoming you into my own fanciful, positive and silly world— where self-love and confidence is a cause for celebration. I feel like the video catches the eye and makes people happy— that’s really what I want to achieve with my music and brand.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) Typically, I choose an instrumental based upon what vibe I want to go for— then I try to go through the track and come up with melody ideas. After coming up with melodies, I’ll go ahead and write lyrics. I don’t necessarily need music before I write lyrics, but I find the process flows more naturally and is more efficient if I am writing off an instrumental.

 

Q) Josh Stevens helped produce the track, but how much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) I’m good at a lot of things: singing, twerking and eating carbs in my bikini are a few of them. However, production is an area that I don’t know much about. My brain doesn’t really work that way— that’s why I’m so grateful for the talent and genius that is Josh Stevens. We work amazingly as a team— I’ll leave the production to him. [laughs]

 

Q) With concerts currently on hold, what do you miss most about being on stage?

A) I miss the overall rush of performing. It really is a high to put yourself out there and inspire/connect with an audience. It’s a feeling unlike any other and I definitely feed off the crowd’s energy. I also miss the aesthetic of performing— picking out my outrageous outfits and coming up with little dances. Now, I just get to do that for a couple close friends and in the mirror.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) I love to perform at nightclubs because I spent so much time immersed in the glamorous club scenes of NYC, New Jersey, Miami, Vegas and LA. It’s in my blood and the energy is unlike any other place – everyone is dressed to the nines, wanting to just party, be free and dance. They’re very receptive to music, especially my genre of music. It’s amazing to feel like you as an artist are helping to set the tone for a lot of people’s nights— as a get away from the stresses of their everyday lives. It’s something everyone can participate in and remember.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) I would absolutely love to collaborate with Madonna or Lady Gaga because I believe my artistry and vibe shares a lot in common with them. Our music styles definitely overlap, so it’d make for a very fun and cohesive record. I’d also love to do more hip-hop collabs — maybe with a newer hip hop artist like Megan Thee Stallion or Da Baby. I love the legacy artists, but the new generation (my generation) is artist really inspires and energizes me as well.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) I’ve been listening a lot to both Dua Lipa and Da Baby. Dua Lipa has incredible upbeat dance-pop songs with a slight disco influence. I think her vibe is so unlike anyone else in the pop world right now. In my opinion, she’s saving mainstream pop music. Da Baby is the most talented newer rapper to come out in years and I can’t help but dance every time any of his records come on. He’s got tons of swag, confidence and he’s hungry— I cannot say enough great things about him.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) I’m very connected to social media and I think it’s a very effective way to stay engaged. With the usage of various social media platforms, you can keep listeners/fans in sync with your daily life and they feel involved in the projects that you are working on. When you are posting frequently and constantly hitting them with content, fans are kept excited about your brand! Fans are inspired by you and thus it is so important to keep them feeling connected and in touch! My Stormtroopers rock!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Thank you for keeping #Slaylife alive! I really appreciate each and every one of you. You’re all beautiful, fabulous, sexy, capable and can accomplish anything! Be on the lookout for the “Versace Shade” remix featuring female rapper Lady Luck and #slay tuned for a lot more bangers from me this year. It’s #StormSZN betches! Grab your umbrellas! ⚡️☔️ Oh and follow me on IG @itsannastorm!

 

 

Watch The Video For “Versace Shade”