Anella Visualises Emotions on Metaphorical TV Screens on 831: The Series

Music is not something that is boxed in with definite edges – its energy and meanings transcend the lyrics heard by listeners.

Anella is an artist who taps into that energy, creating genre-less music and experimenting with various sounds. He has blended almost every genre in existence into his music, such as hip-hop, pop, R&B, punk, and country.

Anella has been releasing music since 2020, and in 2024, he began a collection of EPs centred around various emotions, with these works being referred to as the Season Series. He sought to fit every emotion into his musical art and convey these feelings to fans as different seasons of a metaphorical TV show. These EPs merged (along with some individual tracks) to form his first album called, 831: The Series. We had the chance to chat with him about this latest release and his wider career.

While Anella has crafted his personal brand around his genre-less music, he still keeps an identity unique to himself. He is 23 years old (so he hasn’t exactly discovered who he is), but he often draws inspiration from his musical roots. Anella named artists such as Michael Jackson, blink-182, Queen, Green Day, and Frankie Valli as some of his inspirations. He also grew up in a family that fostered his love of music, and he was exposed to various genres since he was from North Carolina, which he described as a “big melting pot … (where) there is no one person the same.”

Anella does not let his inspirations control his musical journey and ensures that he can create songs that he connects with beyond any restraints or genres. Anella described how he stays grounded in his unique sound because of his stubbornness and relentlessness to do what he wants to do with his tunes: “The glue between the music is me.”

The idea of blending, mixing, and breaking genre boundaries is something key to Anella’s identity as an artist. While making his tracks, he considers whether he enjoys the music or not. He considers critique and how listeners may respond. At the end of the day, he does a bit of everything across various musical styles, a musical direction that his fans admire and appreciate.

Beyond his musical genres, Anella maintains a boundless mindset. For example, he grew up in the south but feels most at home in bustling environments like New York City. He enjoys all aspects of life and goals, without picking favourites. He lets his hobbies and jobs match his various interests, with no limits on what he can or cannot do, just like 831: The Series was created without limits.

Putting together 831: The Series began with the naming of this first full album. The numbers mean 8 words, 3 letters, and 1 meaning (or 1 million meanings), which can be deciphered to be “I love you.” Anella spoke about how everyone has felt connected with that phrase and the emotions of love, but not at the same time. Anella got this number tattooed on himself and realised it could help show how everyone is connected to various emotions at different times through his album.

Anella’s recent album is a statement of who he is and what emotions he feels and connects with. He described the album as being as simple or confusing as the listener wants to make it, drawing parallels between the record and a piece of artwork you may perceive. It is a good reflection of how unexpected life is, and Anella said that he told different stories using different genres.

“I feel like the best and worst part about being human is not knowing how to approach an emotion.”

When creating 831: The Series, he didn’t just stick to one method throughout the entire process to form lyrics and sounds from his experiences. It depended on how the day went, writing random lyrics and seeing how they connected with instruments. The process centred around what he was drawn to in the music at that time, whether it was instruments or writing.

This record took years to make, coming together over time. Individual EPs titled as seasons one through five were released to acclimate fans to Anella’s individual musical style. They were also a way to show fans how much he valued quality over just filling the time of an album right away. He sought to curate his music based on people’s reactions, while staying true to his own identity and the emotions he was feeling. Some songs were written two or three years ago, and overall, Anella has over 350 unreleased songs. While he could have been happy with many songs from that catalogue, he and his team created lists of their favourites and found overlaps to specify which songs would exist on the final album.

“Every aspect of the album has (been like) a little piece of me… (throughout) my whole life.”

Anella faced various challenges and learned lessons while crafting 831: The Series. For example, he dealt with a lot of burnout due to his persistence. He explained that “The only wall that (he) hit is (himself)… (he) just talk(s) to (himself) to work it out.” He also found ways to recharge and stay grounded by going golfing, taking a vacation, and building LEGO sets. Everything costs money, but he doesn’t regret anything about how he took care of himself throughout the creative process.

Besides burnout, Anella also had to overcome obstacles to release music that was considered risky. He was told that some of his songs would not do good but still decided to try anyway. He chatted about the importance of feeling success through good memories related to the song release, and not just the money. He learned how to be okay with knowing that not every song would work out. Anella also recognised how he still has so much more to learn and new ways to grow.

“The only risk in music is not releasing.”

Anella’s recent music has not only been successful but also eye-opening. He realised that the improving statistics have raised his confidence, but this makes him more aware of how something going wrong could cause shame. Anella is trying his best and doing what is needed to strengthen his records, but continues to learn, even when failing.

As Anella looks at creating his next project, he’s already considering ideas for how he wants to structure the new era. He plans to stray away from the sequence, so as not to overdo that concept and instead, plans to follow a more traditional route next with singles and an EP or album eventually. Still, he discussed the logistical importance of meeting statistics for shows, sales, streams, and the label.

Whatever Anella chooses to do next, it will certainly turn heads and cause excitement to spread through his fans. His genre-less identity and musical nuance make him stand out as a rising artist to keep an eye on. You can binge his series of musical EPs (as well as 831: The Series) now and can catch him on The Crashing This Party Tour this fall.