Annekei: Beyond the Solo

Born in Denmark in 1981, Annekei wrote her first song at 13. Years later, she landed a deal with Japanese music label "Being Records" with a self-titled album released last September. Back in New York City, where she currently lives, her fan base is growing thanks to performances at the famous "Apollo Theater," "Blue Note" and "Bowery Poetry Club." Annekei offered Behance her insights on staying focused and driven amidst the challenges of the music industry.

Annekei recognizes that success in her industry is not a solo act. As she explains it, "Everything you create is so personal and sensitive and because of that, it takes a lot of strength to handle (criticism) and rejections... Besides learning how to stand up for myself, there are so many things I couldn't have done or gone through without my friends and my musical team (lawyer, manager, musicians). It means EVERYTHING to have good and reliable people around you, no matter what business you're in."

"Being a white girl from Denmark singing soul! It's been hard for people to understand who I am, because of how I look...I haven't purposely defied any conventional wisdom, only stood up for what I knew I was, even when everyone told me that I was something else."

To remain organized and focused, the young artist makes sure to give herself a break. "I find that one of the most important things in organizing your time is making sure to schedule your breaks. If you're working with creative projects that you're really passionate about, there will always be plenty to do, and most of the time too much...I sense the stress right away, because it physically affects my body, and therefore my voice, but it also affects the "invisible" parts of me, like concentration, energy and drive. There are endless amounts of work to do in a city like this as an unsigned artist, and it's difficult to take a break without feeling guilty, but the more I work and the busier I get, the more I see the importance of allowing myself to relax."

Although she writes most of her own songs, Annekei recognizes the influence of collaboration in her music. "From time to time, I collaborate with other song-writers, producers and DJ's, for certain projects or shows, and a lot of good material has come out of it over the last couple of years. It always inspires me to collaborate, it has developed me a lot, and I try to do it as much as I can."

More on Annekei

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