Equally comfortable playing world-renowned festivals like Glastonbury and Coachella as she is on the runways of Milan Fashion Week, Anabel Englund is a powerhouse DJ, producer, and singer-songwriter with an immediately recognizable sound.
Hailing from Southern California from a family of artists, Anabel released her debut album Messing with Magic in 2020 to great success; since, she’s been featured in various collaborations with Oliver Heldens, Vintage Culture, and Detlef.
This week, we’re looking back at six of the artist’s chart-topping hits.
"So Hot"
Independently released ahead of a Coachella performance in 2018 and then re-released by Ultra Music in 2019, “So Hot” is a sultry and haze-infused dance track that embodies the heat of a Southern California summer and invokes the first tastes of summer romance. “So Hot” is Anabel’s first number-one single, topping the U.S. Dance radio chart for eight consecutive weeks; as a bonus, check out the MK x Nightlapse remix of this track for an extra dose of delicious dance pop.
"Picture Us"
The second single and third track on Anabel Englund’s critically acclaimed debut, Messing with Magic, “Picture Us” picks up musically where “So Hot” left off but strays from the latter’s romantic themes towards ideas of universal connection, inspired by the PBS documentary A Year in Space. With a sophisticated production by Nick Henriques, the song topped the US Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart in August of 2020 and remained a highlight of Anabel’s musical output.
“Deja Vu” (Oliver Heldens x Anabel Englund)
A consistent theme throughout Anabel’s career is collaboration. While the artist has certainly worked with her fair share of legends, there’s something about this track with Oliver Heldens that stands out amongst the crowd. With a production by Lenno and Heldens that drips with sensuality and a carefree joy de vivre, “Deja Vu” topped the U.S. Dance radio chart in the spring of 2022 and became Anabel’s sixth consecutive number-one single.
“Underwater” (MK x Anabel Englund)
Released in September 2020, “Underwater” is a collaboration with Anabel’s frequent collaborator Marc Kinchen, better known by his artist name MK and a staple in the dance and house music scenes. “Underwater” is an ode to the end of a problematic relationship, exploring complicated themes but never straying from Anabel’s signature breezy sound.
"Burn It"
The closing song on Messing with Magic, “Burn It” might seem like a departure for the artist known for her infectious dance hits, but it actually harkens back to Anabel’s early beginnings as a singer-songwriter for Disney and as part of the duo Suburban Nightlife. A heartbreaking piano ballad that’s sparse in its production, “Burn It” reveals the producer’s vulnerable side and showcases her excellent songwriting skills.
"Need Me Right"
Dropped this past December, “Need Me Right” might be Anabel Englund’s most vital single yet, featuring a production that expertly combines the artist’s signature breezy dance-pop sound with darker elements that speak to a newfound maturity of sound. If this single say anything about the direction Anabel’s heading in for future projects, then one thing’s for sure: we’ve just seen the beginning of this powerhouse artist.
