A beautiful, delicate whisper on the wind, Anna Leone’s breathtaking song “Once” is a vulnerable and visceral soundtrack to inner reckoning – an intimate and stunning overhaul set against a tranquil indie folk soundscape.
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Stream: “Once” – Anna Leone
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A tender upheaval is an upheaval nonetheless, and on her breathtaking new single, Anna Leone breaks herself down only to build back better. A beautiful, delicate whisper on the wind, Leone’s song “Once” is a vulnerable and visceral soundtrack to inner reckoning – an intimate and stunning overhaul set against a tranquil indie folk soundscape.
once,
I was naive enough to stare into the sun
oh once
I had a dream
I had a dream
I forgot what I used to like about me
I’ve fallen before and that’s hurt me
I forgot who I used to be when things were easy
I forgot what you meant to me
Released January 20 via Allpoints, “Once” arrives at the top of 2021 as the latest single off Leone’s forthcoming debut album, set for release later this year. The full-length follow-up to 2018’s debut EP Wandered Away acts as a proper coming-of-age record for the 26-year-old artist, whose music has always felt like a piece of her soul wrenched from the body. Per the artist, the album plunges into explorations of her identity, sexuality, anxiety, and much more.
Her latest release represents just the tip of an exciting, if not deeply emotional, iceberg. Following April 2020’s stirring standalone single “Wondering,” “Once” gives Leone a strong and instantly memorable start to the new year. Built around the core of Leone’s hushed, soothing vocals and lilting acoustic guitar, the ballad builds up from a whisper to a warm wave that washes over the ears, cleansing our souls in the process. Produced by Paul Butler (Michael Kiwanuka), the track is as much a lullaby as it is a confrontation and a breaking out: The embrace of oneself and one’s past that facilitates a long-sought transition – that act of soldiering on and moving forward from a flashpoint.
Turmoil has never manifested itself so serenely. Leone’s raw emotion soars in a heartfelt, deeply expressive chorus:
oh once
I had to choose between surrender and denial
oh once
I held your hand in mine
I held your hand in mine
oh once… oh once
Released in conjunction with the audio, Leone’s “Once” music video is a cinematic triumph that captures the song’s sentiments and intent, while elevating its overall experience to powerful new heights. Directed by Savannah Setten and produced by PULSE FILMS, the filmic endeavor was shot in Portugal’s stunningly scenic Azores archipelago, and finds Leone exploring her surroundings at the same time as she delves deep into herself.
“The narrative loop of ‘Once’ and the video comes from the idea of being stuck in your ways, going through the same patterns, but then choosing to break out of that and do things differently,” Leone tells Atwood Magazine. “Towards the end I reconcile with the past, symbolised by the little girl. I choose to embrace what once was in order to move forward. It was incredible getting to shoot the video in that beautiful environment. The weather was really unpredictable – we went through almost all four seasons in one day.”
I never gave you any reasons
I always built another wall
and here I am again I’m making all the same mistakes
and it’s all my fault
oh once
I was naive enough to stare into the sun
oh once, I had a dream
I had a dream, oh once
Anna Leone’s music is undeniably evocative, compelling, fresh, and raw.
A dreamy entrance into the artist’s inner sanctum, “Once” aches with hauntingly sweet music and the artist’s own stirring surrender. She throws herself into her song, and the result is a piece of music that shines with its own inner light. Stream “Once” out now, and stay tuned for more as Anna Leone teases out the rest of her forthcoming debut album.
A talented and exciting artist to watch, Anna Leone has tapped into true greatness in her music.
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Stream: “Once” – Anna Leone
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