New York’s Anna Shoemaker Releases “Change My Mind”

I don’t know singer-songwriter Anna Shoemaker, so of course I haven’t read her diary, but listening to the New York City-based indie-pop artist’s newest single “Change My Mind,” it feels like I have.

“Change My Mind,” released today, is the singer’s third single off of her upcoming debut LP, due out next year. She’s also released a handful of EPs, including 2020’s “Everything is Embarrassing” and 2018’s “East Side.” Shoemaker’s album will be released through +1 Records, the home of other up-and-comers like is0kenny and Japan, Man.

The song follows Shoemaker’s thought process through a failing relationship of some sort. The lyrics express several different ways of interpreting the various failures of the relationship including “being okay in the morning” and placing the blame on both herself and the other person. Who can’t relate to the constant second-guessing in a fraught relationship? Happy people, maybe? They can go listen to something else, then.

Shoemaker’s main strength in the song lies in her vocal abilities. She has a powerful voice that’s perfectly suited for the mellow verses which lead into a more authoritative chorus in which Shoemaker expresses her doubts lyrically.

NYLON compared Shoemaker to Olivia Rodrigo, which is understandable in both lyrical content and a distant similarity in their voices, but while Rodrigo’s exuberant pop-punk stylings will likely lead to a musical switch up in the young singer’s future, Shoemaker seems to have a winning formula in her single that fits with her voice perfectly.

“Change My Mind” is a promising look at Shoemaker’s abilities as a lyricist and singer, and it makes me excited to see more of what’s to come when she releases her album next year.