Anne-Marie’s latest single ‘Problems’ reveals the self-destructive forces of love through sweet, serendipitous melodies that are just charming enough to make it work.

Longtime fans of the British singer-songwriter know that Anne-Marrie likes to deploy light, breezy harmonies that never dig deep enough to tug at the heartstrings. In a way, she’s the perfect artist to explore the frustrations of young love, which she has done time and again in the past. Therefore, her latest number touches upon familiar territories in terms of sound but the subject matter does tackle some difficult themes that you might usually expect from a more somber composition. Her coarse voice does a perfect job of demonstrating raw vulnerability but the vocal work in conjunction with the lively acoustic guitar chords impart a youthful vibe into the proceedings. 

It’s the best of both worlds when it comes to Anne-Marie. The fun instrumentation will transport you to a jovial carnival by the beach, yet the dynamic upbeat will move you to your feet and send you straight to a club.  By the time you’re absorbing the lyrics, you realize that the piece also packs quite the emotional punch, a tune that consists of both innocence, heartbreak, and recklessness. 

The first verse and pre-chorus are quite standard — nothing too resonant or surprising — but the chorus immediately pipes up with some energizing chords on the electric guitar. That’s when the track completely takes off and embraces all of its rock-inspired stylings. The melody sinks its claws into some blatant nostalgic sounds, with the synth guitar and the percussion reflecting that of an early-aughts pop-rock piece. But the majority of the song does seem specifically 2020, what with the vocal echoes, the quick snaps, and clicks on the electronic drum arrangement. 

The song details a relationship with tons of “problems,” where you can’t trust the other person but you also do whatever you can to get through the challenges and find love no matter what. It’s unclear if there’s a message to be taken from the lyrics but Anne-Marie does infuse so much vivid emotion that the mood remains relatable nonetheless. Ultimately, if Anne-Marie’s core of fans had been expecting more of the same from the hit artist, they’ve certainly received that and more through this marvelous feature.

Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.