Find 2020’s teenage dream in Anna Sofia, the multinstrumentalist from Toronto with a knack for eclectic cartoons and an 80’s obsession. Her latest EP Broken Perfection chronicles the reality of adolescent insecurity and high school romance all tied up in a girly pastel aesthetic. For this generation of teens, Sofia acts as a modern Hannah Montana preaching “Nobody’s Perfect” but with her own twist. Broken Perfection delivers a similar message but with a bit more darkness veiled over its surface.
The six-song collection serves as a reminder that young love and self-discovery isn’t always a High School Musical fairytale. Broken Perfection allows listeners to reminisce and find solace in the struggles that come along with being a teen. The EP is a cathartic explosion of honesty, and perhaps Sofia’s genius is what every high schooler needs to escape the mundane.
Channeling a modern Melanie Martinez with a clear 70’s inspired flare, Sofia takes inspiration from history’s most effervescent artists including Queen and Elton John. Even so, despite the whimsical instrumentals and ethereal vocals of Broken Perfection, lyrically Sofia presents rather mature content. The EP operates as an oxymoron by taking an otherwise sad mood and transforming it into a happy, euphoric project.
For Sofia, creating music is an empowering process she describes as both “natural” and “raw.” With the release of the EP, she’s “found herself more” and wants others to feel the same when listening to her musical diaries. She’s embraced insecurity and doesn’t attempt to mask her struggles behind a perfectly curated social media profile. Obsessed with all things 80s, she’s romanticized the period within which phones didn’t exist. All those decades ago it wasn’t about hiding behind Instagram filters, but rather discovering individual happiness in spite of daily anxieties.
Fan-favorite off the EP, “Don’t Play Pretend” pays homage to trendy juice cleanses and wishful thinking. A modern teenage love story, “it’s likely things will go wrong, but it’s lovely if you play along” she declares against a nostalgic indie beat. Meanwhile, Sofia takes on a more intimate venture with “Either Way” described as her most personal (and challenging) track from the project. Each song holds its own distinct story, but the consistent message of Broken Perfection remains: nobody’s perfect. From track to track, Sofia battles heartache and insecurity, but as her music proves she’ll “love you either way” and be “happy for you” regardless.