Soft-spoken, shy and superbly talented

Soft-spoken and shy are not traditionally characteristics of an internationally successful singer. Then again, nothing about this Ferdies matric learner’s rise to stardom has been traditional. Having only ever performed in front of a live crowd two or three times, Anke Richards (18) has a massive following in the United States, all thanks to her success on streaming services like Spotify. In total, her songs have garnered around seven million streams. From not having a single song online a year ago to earning money through online music is a great achievement for the local starlet.

“It is still a little bit surreal because I can walk around in Potch and nobody knows me. But then, I get messages from fans all over the world, who like my music,” she explains. According to her, it was a coincidence that she was discovered. “I was doing cover songs and sharing them on my Instagram, where a record company saw it and asked me if I wanted to do a song. It went well and then I could write my songs, which also did well,” she laughs.
Maybe the fact that she sounds so similar to Billie Eilish explains her rocketing popularity. Anke is the first to admit that her voice and that of Eilish are similar, but that she only found out who Billie Eilish was after her friends started comparing their vocal styles.
“My friends would say, oh you sound like Billie Eilish, and I would ask, who is Billie Eilish? I am a fan of her music and don’t mind the comparison, but I want people to know that I’m not trying to be her,” Anke says. She feels that the future of the music industry is changing and that an online presence is essential to an artist’s success.
“Even if you do go the traditional route and play smaller gigs, you need to be visible online.
If people hear your music and they want to hear more, they are going to try and find you online. If you’re not there or there is not enough, then people will quickly lose interest,” she says. She is taking a gap year after finishing school to focus on music for a whole year and see how far she can drive her music career.
“I would like to perform more live gigs, because although performing live hasn’t contributed to the success of my music online, the few times that I did perform have helped me gain experience and make me more confident,” she says.
If you see Anke in Potchefstroom, get her autograph; it might be worth something soon.

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https://potchefstroomherald.co.za/80295/soft-spoken-shy-and-superbly-talented/