An expert at bottling late night lightning, Anfa Rose’s brand of new wave r&b continues to capture the essence of his creativity. 

We’ve had almost two weeks to sit with his latest project, Mermaids, and while we’re still catching things for the first time and trying to unpack metaphors and double entendres, it’s an album just as easily consumed absent mindedly. Whether you’re putting your headphones on and cancelling your afternoon plans or tuning out and vibing along, Mermaids is an easy and diverse listen, arranged with cinematic precision. Across the 19-track project, songs are grouped in sequence – sometimes sonically, sometimes thematically – and separated by interludes that mark the beginning and end of chapters in the protagonist’s journey. 

Anfa Rose said: “I use the mermaids theme as a familiar metaphor for the listener to better understand the complexities of the protagonist’s turmoil. Giving reference to the common Mermaids folktale of the fisherman lost at sea to the temptation of Mermaids found throughout history around the world.” It’s not so much the mermaid that captured Anfa Rose’s imagination as the humanity and vulnerabilities that its mythology entails. Add to that the prolific nature of the myth, one imagined in beyond coincidental likeness by ancient societies across the globe, and you’ve got a universally intriguing and relatable concept. 

Throughout the project, the mermaid metaphor is present directly as well as through the repetition of water as both a mystical cleanser and life force, and an unknown, unpredictable element. While Anfa’s lyrics playfully incorporate references to sharks and pearls on early tracks, allusions to drowning allow him to consciously explore promise and demise as the narrative progresses. As the album ebbs and flows, its title track and starting point, ‘Mermaids’, unsurprisingly lands just off centre in the middle of the record. Torn, aching and confused, ‘Mermaids’ is Anfa Rose at is best and just like the sailors lost at sea to the temptation of sirens, the tracks that follow see the protagonist give in to temptation before a moment of clarity savoured in Mermaids’ aptly titled final tracks, ‘Stability’ and ‘For Now’. 

Sonically, the well-travelled Sydney artist draws inspiration from early 2000s r&b, Atlanta trap and pop, to traditional Middle Eastern, North African and Latin influences. Sampling moments and genres from around the world, producer DOPAM!NE flawlessly meshes elements across that diverse soundscape to deliver a contemporary late night r&b sound that feels at once familiar and unique. Above all, it gives Anfa Rose the platform to excel in his element. 

Grappling with setbacks, growth, creativity, relationships and temptation, Mermaids is an incredibly thoughtful album that sees Anfa Rose return from uncharted waters shining brighter than ever. Head over to Spotify to give it a spin, and keep up with Anfa Rose via his instagram here.