English singer/songwriter
Anne-Marie's debut effort,
Speak Your Mind, compiles her early hit singles -- from as early as 2016 -- alongside a fresh batch of stylish, slickly produced dance-pop. Like contemporaries
Jess Glynne,
Zara Larsson, and
Dua Lipa,
Anne-Marie is also a graduate of the
Rihanna and
Sia school of R&B-influenced pop. While that timeless quality of truly great pop is hampered through its adherence to the sonic Zeitgeist of the late 2010s,
Speak Your Mind is nonetheless catchy, ebullient, and fun. In addition to standout singles "Ciao Adios," "Alarm," and "Friends" -- her international hit collaboration with EDM producer
Marshmello -- the album also includes the singles "Then," "Heavy," and "2002," a nostalgic gem co-penned with
Ed Sheeran and
Julia Michaels that interpolates lyrics from late-'90s pop hits in its chorus. Of the previously unreleased offerings,
Anne-Marie draws upon the spirit of
Charli XCX for the slinky cool, trap-peppered kiss-off "Bad Girlfriend" while allowing her vocals to shine in a rare moment of vulnerability with "Perfect," a take-me-as-I-am girl-power anthem. These confident, empowering statements abound on the album, endearing in their confidence and refusal to be beaten by failed relationships and disappointing suitors. As her first official salvo into the pop arena,
Speak Your Mind hints at an enticing amount of potential for
Anne-Marie and her engaging vocals. ~ Neil Z. Yeung