NXTSTYLE’s 2020 Songs of the Summer: somegirlnamedanna “california” & “monday”

INTRODUCING NXTSTYLE’S ‘SONGS OF THE SUMMER,’ HIGHLIGHTING OUR FAVORITE TRACKS WE’VE DISCOVERED THIS SUMMER. OVER 70 SONGS FROM NEW AND INDEPENDENT ARTISTS FORM OUR SUMMER 2020 SOUNDTRACK. TODAY WE FEATURE SINGER/SONGWRITER SOMEGIRLNAMEDANNA. THE MINNESOTA NATIVE HAS A REAL KNACK FOR SONGWRITING AS SEEN THROUGH HER JUST RELEASED DEBUT EP ‘TWENTY ONE, TWENTY TWO’. LEARN MORE ABOUT SOMEGIRLNAMEDANNA IN OUR FEATURED INTERVIEW.

YOU JUST RELEASED YOUR DEBUT EP ‘TWENTYONE, TWENTY TWO’ THAT INCLUDES SIX TRACKS, THREE BEING BRAND NEW TO THE WORLD. TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS OF PUTTING THIS EP TOGETHER. WITH THIS BEING YOUR INTRODUCTION DID YOU HAVE CERTAIN GOALS IN MIND?

This EP was kind of just like a journal entry of the most recent year of my life, turning twenty two. I wrote an endless amount of songs but these six stuck out to me as special because they represented the biggest growth for me. I learned a valuable lesson about love from writing “california” and that we need to love ourselves first, I learned how to (kind of) stop procrastinating with “monday”, and I learned to stand my ground with “seriously just stop”. As far as goals, I just hoped that people could relate to it and hopefully remember that they’re not alone in many of these everyday struggles we face.

YOUR MUSIC DOES A GREAT JOB OF PAINTING A PICTURE FOR THE LISTENER, WHICH IN MY EXPERIENCE AS A MUSIC BLOGGER IS RARE TO SEE IN A NEW ARTIST. TALK ABOUT THE CONNECTION YOU HAVE TO SONGWRITING AND THE PROCESS BEHIND CREATING A SYNERGY BETWEEN THE LYRICS AND PRODUCTION. WAS THERE A TRACK THAT CAME TOGETHER SO QUICKLY THAT IT EXCEEDED YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

“seriously just stop” was written in about 2 hours. The vocal on it is from the vocal I cut that day, much of it being the first take even. Sometimes there’s a magic in songs when they’re first written and it’s hard to recreate that later – there was this attitude that I had the day we wrote it and I was bursting with confidence. I try to remember how I felt that day when I feel less confident and remember that it’s just a mindset change.

I hope they can take away whatever they need to form this song – whether it’s to help them with a long distance relationship or finding the path to loving themselves more. It was about both for me.

“MONDAY” IS A CATCHY TRACK BUT IT’S ALSO ONE THAT STANDS OUT STYLISTICALLY ON ‘TWENTY ONE, TWENTY TWO’. TALK ABOUT THE DIRECTION YOU TOOK WITH THIS SONG AND HOW IT FELT TO SWITCH UP THINGS UP AND GO WITH AN UPTEMPO TRACK?

My personality shows through a lot in this EP I think. I am an overthinker and incredibly emotional, I love recording teary eyed vocals, but at the same time I can be outgoing and have a ton of fun with music. I don’t see this EP as me trying to make a statement with a certain genre or mood in my music, I really just wanted to show both my highs and lows and all sides so people can get to know the real me better.

WHAT WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE SYNC PLACEMENT FOR ‘CALIFORNIA’ AND ‘MONDAY’?

“california”: Some love story or commercial for traveling to California perhaps!?

“monday”: Maybe Bumble. I love all of the empowering campaigns they have been a part of.

LISTEN ON

FOLLOW SOMEGIRLNAMEDANNA

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SOMEGIRLNAMEDANNA

OF THE TALENTED ARTISTS, SONGWRITERS, AND PRODUCERS OUT THERE IS THERE SOMEONE YOU WOULD REALLY LOVE TO COLLABORATE WITH NEXT?

I would love to collab with either Jon Bellion, Chance, or Childish Gambino next.

WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT 2020 HAS BROUGHT TO SOCIETY HAS IT AT ALL ALTERED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE AND RELATIONSHIPS? HAS IT PLAYED A ROLE IN INFLUENCING YOUR SONGWRITING?

Definitely. I have taken this time to slow down and reach out to more friends and family, check in on them, and also educate myself on all of the incredibly important events going on in the world. My songwriting isn’t the most fun (like songs like Monday) right now, but I think it’s hard to lie to myself and pretend I’m feeling something that I’m not. I’m definitely writing deep lyrics and a lot more ballads lately.

WHETHER IT’S AN ALBUM, BEING AROUND CERTAIN PEOPLE, OR AN ACTIVITY, WHAT IS ONE THING THAT HAS HELPED YOU MOVE FORWARD DURING THE PANDEMIC?

I think being outdoors has been greatly helpful for my mental health. Making sure to stay active, eat yummy food, and connect virtually with as many people as possible helps move this year along a lot quicker.

WHEN DOING RESEARCH FOR THIS INTERVIEW I COULDN’T HELP BUT ASK THIS QUESTION WHEN I SAW YOUR SECOND POST EVER ON INSTAGRAM (EXACTLY A YEAR AGO!). THINKING ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY FROM WHO YOU WERE IN THAT PICTURE, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON YOUR JOURNEY THUS FAR AND HOW YOUR MUSIC HAS TOUCHED OTHERS? DID YOU THINK YOU’D ACCOMPLISH ALL THAT YOU HAVE IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME?

That picture makes me so emotional now. It was pre-pandemic obviously, it was my first trip to LA, and actually a few days after we wrote Monday. Although I was only a few months younger, I feel like I’ve grown so much since then – the lessons I learned through writing the EP and also through this year have been massive. My music has definitely touched a few people, and I’ve received messages that have sent me in tears because of it. I wasn’t even close to being signed in that picture, so no – I definitely did not think I would accomplish all of this in such a short amount of time.

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If I can change one person’s day with one of my songs someday then I will be completely overjoyed

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FAST FORWARD 60 SOME ODD YEAR FROM NOW AS YOU’RE IN YOUR 80’S FEELING HAPPY WITH HOW THEY LIVED THEIR LIFE. WHAT WOULD THAT PERSON BE MOST PROUD OF?

Life is short and as long as we can leave this world a little better than we found it, then I think that’s something to be proud of. Things like knowing I treated people fairly and put as much kindness and love into the world as possible would be what I would care about 60 years from now.

WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM YOU AS WE HEAD INTO THE FINAL MONTHS OF 2020?

Well, this year is so unpredictable that I don’t even know what I’m doing next week. What I can say though is I am writing like crazy and whether it’s very soon or not for another several months, there will be music coming out – and I’m going to put whatever’s left in my heart this year into it.

IS THERE A CHARITY OR ORGANIZATION THAT MEANS A LOT TO YOU THAT YOU URGE OTHERS TO LOOK INTO? ANY PARTICULAR CONNECTION YOU HAVE TO IT?

In my bio are several ways you can learn more about #blacklivesmatter and make donations to several outlets. It’s up to our young generation to permanently make a change and use our voice and platforms to speak out for what’s right.

SOMEGIRLNAMEDANNA’S 

SONGS OF THE SUMMER

  1. 1) Jorja Smith “By Any Means” (powerful. Just powerful)
  2. 2) Avenue Beat “F2020” (these girls are amazing)
  3. 3) Alec Benjamin “Six Feet Apart”
  4. 4) Billie Eilish “My future” (Always been a Billie fan)
  5. 5) Blu DeTiger “Figure It Out”

Listen to all of our featured artist’s favorite songs of the summer on our special Spotify playlist.

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Discover New Music

THE ‘NEXT IN MUSIC’ PLAYLIST

Discover a wide range of new music we love from artists located all across the world. Follow the ‘NEXT in Music’ playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud.

MUSIC IN 2020 INTERVIEW SERIES

WE INTERVIEWED MUSIC PROS AND TASTEMAKERS TO GET THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON WHERE MUSIC IS HEADED AND TO DISCOVER WHAT NEW MUSIC THEY’RE LISTENING TO.

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