The Toronto-born artist Annika Zee has released an album, “Emerald Spy,” that’s impossible to pack into a single genre neatly. Zee makes a bouncy gumbo of reflective '90s pop and dreamy electronic music. The album is a foray into personal experience and empowerment, as well as the broader realm of narrative pop music, all featuring stories that challenge societal expectations and traditional notions surrounding the structure of pop music.
The vibe is all energy and engagement, an irresistible invitation to confront uncomfortable truths while dancing. The album then turns in a different direction with “Can’t Hear You,” which aims at the culture of celebrity, the toll of war, and the noise of social media. Zee’s production is on full display here, pairing glossy sounds with her silken voice and building out a bewitching mood that feels both familiar and slightly wrong. On another, more optimistic song, “Wondering,” Zee dreams of better days with a glimmer of hope. But she never shies away from tough subjects. In tracks like “I’m Dead” and “Puppet,” it covers subjects like toxic relationships and social injustice.
"Puppet,” inspired by Malcolm X, is powerful as a forceful message against the abuse of power, and it’s also as musically gripping as it is politically stirring. One of the more curious tracks on the album is “Can You,” an improvisation recorded with Will Smith in a London studio. The album closes with “As They Call,” which forces listeners to think not only about colonial history and the necessity of reparations but also about crowded stories.
What distinguishes “Emerald Spy” is the combination of deep thought and emotional power. Zee’s music is a reflective daydreaming and a danceable pop album all at once. Tracks such as “Hell No” and “Can You” showcase her capacity for matching political insight with energizing beats, leaving a lasting impression that both provokes thought and exhilarates. Joining the traditional fine jewellery audience is Annika Zee. "Emerald Spy" is a brief and mighty piece that reminds us of the future of music.
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