From Burnout to Breakthrough: Anella Gets Real on ‘831: The Series’
— June 25, 2025 —
Genre-blurring artist Anella spoke at a º1824 press conference on June 25, following the release of his album 831: The Series on May 30, 2025. Thoughtful, funny, and sharp in his delivery, Anella reflected on the whirlwind of his early twenties, the pressure of defining success, and how music has been his constant through it all. Known for weaving vulnerability into boundary-pushing production, he is not interested in fitting into any genre. He is focused on building something honest. For Anella, 831 is more than just an album. It is his life, written in real time.
Anella
Photo provided by °1824 – Universal Music Group.
A Life in Motion
Anella traced the beginnings of 831: The Series back to when he was sixteen, when the number first came to him as a tattoo idea, long before it became an album. “8 letters, 3 words, 1 meaning. I hate you, I love you, etc.,” he said, reflecting on how those three numbers can mean something different to everyone depending on the situation. “That is the point of the album. Whatever you are feeling—love, anger, confusion—there is something in it that you can hold onto. It is personal to me, but it is meant to feel personal to you too.”
The project itself—honest, jagged, and deeply personal—feels less like a debut and more like a snapshot of a life still in motion. “It is a whirlwind of my twenties,” he said. “The album as a whole is a good reflection of how unexpected life is.”
Redefining Confidence
Confidence came slowly. “I would like to think I am humble,” Anella shared, “but statistics prove I am doing better by the day.” At the same time, he remains aware of how fragile that progress can be. “If I do not portray my music in the right way, like with the visuals or the rollout, it might fail. But I am confident in myself, my abilities, and my drive. I know what I want. I am also okay with saying I do not know how to get there.”
That space between certainty and uncertainty feels like the thread running through all of 831. There is strength in knowing, and strength in admitting you are still learning.
Sound Without Borders
From a sound perspective, Anella resists labels. “I do not want you to expect a certain sound. I want you to expect a certain quality.” He draws from a wide range of influences—Eminem, Queen, Beastie Boys, and whatever his family happened to be playing growing up. “I like a little bit of everything,” he said. “Everyone is correlating instruments to genre. Banjo to folk, 808s to rap. But for me, it depends on the moment.”
Even his creative process changes from song to song. “Sometimes I start with the lyrics, sometimes it is a sound that scratches an itch in my brain. There is no right way.”
Songs With Memory
Anella remembers exactly where he was when he wrote each track. Some songs (like “Wonder”) were recorded directly into his phone while lying in bed. Others—like “Don’t Hit Me Up,” written in a cabin—caught him by surprise when it took off better than “Wonder.” “These past four years have been very developmental,” he said. “Every aspect of the album is a piece of me. Something I want to tell my kids one day.”
Burnout and Balance
When it comes to burnout, Anella is honest. “I burn out, then stop, then try again. Then two hours later, I make another hit. Then two weeks go by. I feel like I will not stop.” To recharge, he leans into the small stuff—playing with Legos, golfing, or dreaming about a vacation. “Everything is so expensive,” he joked. “We should have started learning how to do taxes in second grade.”
Even his humor feels wise—like someone who knows how much pressure this path holds, but still chooses to laugh through it.
Visual Storytelling and Intentionality
Anella approaches visuals the same way he approaches music: everything must have a reason. “If the story does not come through, it might not connect,” he said. “If it is going to have my name on it, I want it to say something.”
His tattoos follow the same rule. “Every tattoo I have, I have either drawn, except for the ones on my fingers. They all have a backstory.” One recent addition: Pac-Man, reimagined as a rockstar.
Looking Ahead
He has opened five shows for Lil Wayne—a surreal, bucket-list moment that felt both earned and slightly unbelievable. “I was delusional, but not crazy,” he said with a smile. “I am on tour with Lil Wayne, in cities where I already have friends. I tell them to pull up.”
As for what is next, he plans to keep releasing singles, with a possible EP down the line. But for now, he is focused on putting out one thing at a time—with intention, clarity, and heart.
“Being okay with not having everything figured out,” he said, when asked what he has learned most as an artist. “No one knows everything. But I am learning.”
Listen to Anella here:
Listen to Anella’s latest album 831: The Series here:
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