There’s so much of the world today that is rooted in misogyny, and some of that can be traced back to how people read into the bible. Many people read into Eve in the biblical story of ‘Adam and Eve’ as this woman who was created to serve Adam, just there to procreate and populate the world. To give into the toxic patriarchal ideas that gave way into much war and bloodshed. But what if it was different? What if, instead, Eve was written as a powerful black woman who’s given her own power to think and lead? Maybe then the world would be a lot different. ANISE inquires this all with creative and original musicianship in her latest track ‘Black Eve.’ It’s powerful, it’s empowering, and its message runs deep into a huge problem within culture and society today.
‘Black Eve’ is a beautiful, creative, and empowering R&B track. The use of mainly simplified percussion and nature sounds in the background is such a great concept that’s amazingly well implemented. It adds something sort-of primal to the sound that really fits in with the concept of the biblical references. ANISE shows a lot of vocal precision in this track. She has this sultry slightly raspy tone at times, and at others, it’s completely smooth and full. There are so many vocal dynamics used throughout ‘Black Eve.’ One of the most interesting ones is the use of a sort of vocal wobble heard first at around :34. It’s something that first off is hard to do, and is second off hard to pull out in a track. ANISE pulls it off perfectly, truly showing the precision she has with her voice.
‘Black Eve’ is a bad bitch track that tackles misogyny within Anglicanized religion. Eve is typically translated and read as someone who was just there to be a mindless form of devotion toward Adam, meant to produce the future nations of the world. ANISE asks, ‘What if she was black?’ If the story wasn’t taken from specifically white misogynistic eyes, Eve would have probably been much more of a powerful leader-type figure. It begs you to do something important, think of the ideas you build your mindset off of, and see if it’s rooted in a false sense of the rightness of white masculinity. It’s something that rings true when reading through the bible and also in modern-day when there are so many world cultures that are still in fact rooted in misogyny and racism. ‘Black Eve’ is a song that demands a power shift, and this power is highlighted within the track. It’s profound. It’s important. It just has such a message, ‘I’m tired of endless tilling / I’m tired of endless telling / I’m tired of endless killing / this endless talon / your endless killing.’
London-based R&B-pop singer, songwriter, and producer ANISE has just released ‘Black Eve’ in preparation of her debut EP coming later this month, October 2021. ANISE started creating music in her bedroom in New York, and she’s come a long way since then. She has so far garnered critical praise from sources such as Earmilk, PAUSE Magazine, and The Honey Pop. She’s known for both her captivating musical artistry and the poeticism that her lyrics capture. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for her debut EP of the same title as this single, Black Eve, which tackles womanhood, empowerment, and independence.
Written by Sage Plapp
