Indie Folk Pop from Annie W

Montreal-based artist Annie Webb has built her musical world around independence, curiosity and a knack for exploring the overlap between disciplines. Working under the artistic banner Annie W, she’s an independent songwriter, recording artist and visual creator who writes in both English and French while taking responsibility for almost every aspect of her creative output. From songwriting and performance to production, artwork and videos, Annie has developed an output in which the music and its wider visual identity arise from the same personal vision.

Her sound forms an intriguing space between rock, folk and experimental pop, with melodic writing and rich harmonies providing its wide appeal. Guitar and piano sit at the heart of the arrangements, while a wide array of influences stretches from the intricate experimentation of Björk and the expressive songwriting of Jeff Buckley to the heavier world of Metallica. Annie W draws from their contrasting qualities to create music that feels at once intimate and engaging to offer a sound that’s entirely her own.

Her songwriting is similarly interested in complexity and through reflective lyrics and storytelling, she explores identity, connection and the often contradictory nature of being human. She views each song as an opportunity to examine an idea from multiple angles, finding humour, uncertainty and emotional context in the spaces between them. In June last year, she unveiled her unique musical vision with the debut single “Lulu (Cosmic Dance)” which she’s since followed up with a string of well-received songs.

Now she brings us her latest release with her brand new single titled “I’m a Genius,” an indie folk pop outing that turns its attention towards the boundary between artistic confidence and outright delusion. Composed from the perspective of an underestimated outsider, the song embraces the possibility that believing in yourself can look ridiculous from the outside. Its central character is caught between two competing interpretations; perhaps she really is brilliant, perhaps she’s completely absurd, or perhaps the two can exist at once.

Opened the delicate plucks of bright acoustic guitar notes, Annie’s soothing vocals enter as the twinkle of piano and muted patter of percussion forms an intimate arrangement. Building with the steady traps of drums and laid back instrumental layers, her alluring voice spins memorable melodic leads carrying poignant lyrics above, casting a breezy folk pop scene that’s charming and catchy in equal measure. Developing throughout, the song rises with subtly rock energy as dancing lead guitar lines flicker alongside overlapping vocal leads in its Queen-inspired finale, resulting in a magical musical moment that’s sure to delight listeners around the world.

It’s a fitting musical shape for a song about self-belief and what begins almost as a private thought becomes increasingly difficult to contain, eventually breaking into a full-scale declaration of individuality. “I’m a Genius” questions whether confidence can cross the line into delusion but its very existence demonstrates the value of leaning fully in to your own creative vision and by the end, the question almost becomes irrelevant. As she continues to shine on her musical adventure, we can’t wait to see what else Annie W has in store for the rest of 2026 and beyond.

Commenting on the single, she shares, “I was editing my previous release, making mistakes and convincing myself it was going to tank, when I started randomly singing to myself, ‘I’m so talented, I’m a genius.’ It was just a sarcastic, stream-of-consciousness moment, but then I realised I’d stumbled onto a song. As I developed it, the irony started to disappear—I actually began to believe I had something great. Now I’m slightly worried people will hear the title and think I’m seriously proclaiming myself a genius. But really, the song starts with self-doubt and ends with me thinking, maybe I am a genius—and maybe it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”

Listen to I’m a Genius below

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