You may recognize the name Mai Anna from our monthly lineup series, when we highlighted the Japanese-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s creative prowess back in 2021. A self-described audio engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and creative director and fresh off a recent show with Col3trane, Mai Anna gives listeners her first release of 2023, “Trash Bag” – a reflective conversation navigating the leftover memories of a relationship.

Starting with a guitar driven instrumental, Mai Anna puts her soothing vocal inflections on display as she reminisces on how things used to be. Anna said on the release, “‘Trash Bag’ came out of a conversation I had with my guitarist about the pains of finding remnants from an old love. I talked about rediscovering past letters, finding the courage to throw them out, and what it felt like trying to let go. The song tells that story and is an encapsulation of those bittersweet feelings.”

‍Keeping things light and focused on the songwriting, Mai Anna lets her vocal do the bulk work of “Trash Bag,” a song I could see the Queens native pouring her heart out over on stage with phone lights out and fans singing along to. Anna unleashes her range in a few instances throughout the track, giving glimpses of the sonic space she can make emotional connections with listeners at, yet keeps her dynamics in a tamed space when she feels necessary.

With her first release since last year, Mai Anna is back and picking up right where she left off. With a unique perspective and refreshing delivery, Anna has the potential to stamp her name in the R&B scene for good.

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