It’s been almost 5 years since the release of Carla Morrison’s Amor Supremo. The artist’s acclaimed third studio album cemented her legacy as one of the preeminent names in Mexican pop but after touring extensively and releasing a few videos, reworks and high-profile collaborations with the likes of J Balvin and Macklemore, the voice of a generation’s heartbreak quietly retreated from the spotlight. In her new single titled “Ansiedad,” Morrison seems ready to have a candid conversation on her vanishing act and why stepping away was crucial to nourishing and restoring her mental health.
Morrison is no stranger to somber lyrics (usually accompanied by exuberant catharsis) but “Ansiedad” feels markedly heavy as if canvasing a more profound sadness.
“En el viaje perdí mi verdad/siendo una estrella dejé de brillar,” she sings, setting the scene for a pop star that’s lost her glow over atmospheric synths and taking on the cadence of an expert R&B chanteuse. As the voices in her head begin to manifest, so do the beat’s high hats, echoing the overwhelming noise that became her life as an artist at the top of her game but spread too thin. By the time the chorus hits, Morrison is mourning her ability to speak and breathe freely—a superstar trapped within her fame, and hardly the only performer to ever feel alone in a stadium filled to the brim.
The Colin Solal Cardo-directed video for “Ansiedad” features Morrison and a squad of dancers in a sandy, desolate lot where they perform intricate choreography by Kiani Del Valle. Both song and video seem to gradually bloom, with the music rising steadily and dance moves opening up from claustrophobic formations into warm, uplifting embraces.
Morrison took to Twitter to tease this new chapter in her career. “The plan wasn’t to return to music this year, but fortunately she returned to me,” she wrote with a screenshot from the clip. In a follow-up tweet, she adds, “Several years have passed and things have changed. I find myself singing from another perspective, from another notion. I had the great luxury of spending time with myself, and not only do I recognize myself again, in a way I’ve returned to myself. This time it’s different because my story is too #elrenacimiento.”
“Ansiedad” is the first single off Carla Morrison’s forthcoming comeback record, and while no other details have been revealed, it’s clear we’ll be following her journey from darkness back into the light, and that R&B will be the medium. Longtime fans might miss her singer-songwriter stylings but clearly, Carla Morrison has evolved, and they should too.
