Review by Pat Joseph & Staff
The W.A M. Awards celebrate the year’s most outstanding independent artists from around the world in multiple genres and categories. "Best Song" and "Best Album" nominations were based on Artistry, Musicianship, Originality, Professionalism, Diversity, and Excellence. W.A.M. stands for "We Are the Music Makers.' Mariia's song "Real Anymore'" was the 2020 W.A.M. Award Winner for Best Song in the Pop music category.
“Real Anymore” is an empowering, anthemic pop song that delivers a huge backing tracking track and an even bigger vocal performance. Right off the bat, an interesting sounding piano, and affected vocal musings root the listener in the modern pop arena. The breathy, enchanting vocals of Mariia lure the listener in and show brilliance in building the energy into the chorus without losing the emotional tone of the song. A doubled vocal part an octave lower add a depth to the delivery of the song, and creates a powerful sound which demands attention.
The lyrics of “Real Anymore” are insightful and meaningful. This is a message which should be heard by today’s youth, especially the feminine youth. Mariia sings “it’s 1 for the magazines, 2 for the skinny tea, 3 for the days she didn’t eat, 4 for the photoshop, 5 for the tears that won’t stop, She don’t know what’s real anymore.” Mariia also indicates the space for personal choice and the embedded duality of perception “when the mirror lies, she can change her mind.” Young people are up against a lot in these times, and songs like “Real Anymore” can offer a lifeline in the form of validation and encouragement.
“Real anymore” is a true pop anthem complete with a cohesive inspirational message and an intimate point of view. Sonically the textures are woven together perfectly, creating a danceable groove and cascading vocals. Mariia’s vocals really shine on this track. She delivers a performance that is simultaneously intimate and soaring. The hook is catchy, the bass bumps, and the vocals make you feel something. To put it briefly, its an excellent pop song.
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About Mariia
MARIIA is a singer and songriter, born in small city nearby Moscow. Gravitated towards the songs of Adele, Alisha Keys, Andra Day, Ed Sheeran and Etta James she started her career singing in local bars and restaurants with her band. At the age of 16 she started writing her own music. Her sophisticated pop sound is rooted in a wide range of inspirations soaked up from the time spend traveling around the world. In 2015 she took part in Russian The Voice, in 2018 recorded Salsa Album in Switzerland and released her debut EP in Moscow in 2019. She has extensive experience performing since she spent more than 3 years of performing at concerts, music festivals and on music jury panels around the world. In May 2019 she was selected to join the Songwriter Camp in Palm Springs, LA, mentored by Pam Sheyne and Richard Harris. At the camp she met Nitanee Paris, the Director of A&R at ArtistMax, a Los Angeles based artist development and education enterprise founded by Grammy-winning producer Ken Caillat (Fleetwood Mac; Colbie Caillat). Nitanee introduced her to Ken Caillat and Mariia ended up staying in LA and signing her artist development deal with ArtistMax. During her being in LA she was working with great songwriters and producers, such as Nitanee Paris, Ken Caillat, Pam Sheyne, Richard Harris, Martin Sutton, Sebastian Hughes, Mark Dorflinger and Chen Neeman.
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