Queens-born R&B singer-songwriter Mai Anna lets go of expectations on ‘Chameleon’, the latest glimpse of her forthcoming debut album, Sleepy Eyes. Written with longtime collaborator Solomon Fox, the track reflects on finding freedom when life no longer follows the path you imagined. “When I could let go of who I thought I was supposed to be, I found myself much closer to who I actually was,” Anna explains.
A subtle, funky bassline runs beneath the track’s smooth R&B groove, joined by keys, drums and bongos that bring an almost bossa nova feel to its gently off-kilter rhythm. Jazzy trumpet flourishes add further colour, while Anna’s silky, soulful vocal moves effortlessly through the loose arrangement. There’s no conventional chorus; instead, repeated phrases drift naturally through its playful neo-soul landscape before Chloe George joins later in the track, her equally smooth vocal slipping neatly alongside Anna’s.
That sense of fluidity continues into the colourful video, where Anna and her real-life friends enter a shared dream state before the camera moves through their individual inner worlds. George eventually appears on a platform, surrounded by hazy solar flares. Relaxed, sensual and quietly experimental, ‘Chameleon’ finds beauty in allowing yourself to change.
