Indeed, there are three types of artists: the cathartic artist, the commercial one, and the artist who harnesses music as a medium of self-expression. Anabel Rose’s music sits at the intersection of a need for self-expression and music being that medium she uses. The result is a sonic offering that straddles multiple genres—alternative rock, pop, and R&B—infused with danceable, Afro-centric rhythms.
The 26-year-old Ghanaian-Filipino artist, born Anabel Rose in Accra, discovered music as early as the age of 8, with her professional musical journey kickstarting in 2018. Anabel began as a member of Black Girls Glow before eventually joining 99 PHACES—a creative collective based in Ghana spanning music, digital and fine arts, and fashion. However, in 2023, she began her independent music career with an R&B, alt-pop, gut-punching single, “Love Me Or Die”, where a distressed Anabel Rose clings to unreciprocated love.
“Love Me Or Die” not only heralded her arrival in the music scene but also immediately showcased her ability to compete as an artist on a global scale. Ever since her debut single, Anabel Rose has towed the alt-pop, R&B path, shapeshifting through even more daring sonic explorations—with a natural pull to a contemporary global pop and R&B crowd.
Following an eventful 2024—off the back of a successful second year in her career, including her debut project Something About A Rose, which has garnered over 500,000 streams across platforms—Anabel opens the year with her new single and one of many 2025 releases, ‘How I Want It‘. Produced by Insane Auggie, the record is a sultry yet vibrant alt-R&B track with a mid-tempo bounce that rides the line between flirtation and full-blown intention. On ‘How I Want It’, gone is the hesitant yearning narrative found in songs like “Lungs”. In its place, velvety vocals, clarity, and a bold declaration of desire take form.
“Hardly breathing. You’re on my mind boy lately,” she opens, revealing a lover who craves connection but also refuses to chase. “I wanna know bad you want it… Is it bad how I want it?” she asks — not from a place of doubt, but assurance. This is not a game of guessing; it’s a call for emotional transparency.
As the track unfolds, Anabel leans into the daring, addictive nature of intimacy. Lines like “My chocolate… You’re so sweet to me… I need a fix… No counterfeit… I’ll never quit,” and “Dive in my river… Let it rain when I’m tingling… Steady the rhythm… Locking eyes” reflects a love that’s consuming and immersive. The fading echoes of “so addictive” say it all.
‘How I Want It’ follows the release of the Too Friendly music video off her tape, co-signs from Amaarae and Moliy, and singles like “Lungs”, which was tagged as one of OkayAfrica’s Best Afrobeats Songs of 2024.
Since her debut in 2023, Anabel Rose has shown incredible pace in her trajectory toward global dominance and perhaps a Grammy Award. With ‘How I Want It’, she is positioned to welcome the next phase of her career in sound and imagery.
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