“It’s not an album; it’s a social audio documentary on American culture.”
– Ariano
Two years after releasing America the Anxious – an intense, raw, and unflinchingly honest portrayal of our country’s anxiety surrounding the uncertainty of a global pandemic, America’s racial and social justice reckoning and the country’s devolving political climate – SoCal veteran artist and producer Ariano drops his follow-up with America the Anxious 2. With time continuing its slow march onward, Ariano has found peace in the things that have improved and tragedy in the things that have not or only gotten worse. America the Anxious 2 isn’t a project created to make you feel better about the current state of American culture; it’s a project that is confronting and uncomfortable but forces you to face reality and all its ugliness so that you can be a catalyst for positive change.
Ariano once again flexes his muscles as a masterful storyteller with America the Anxious 2, which is more a of musical social commentary documentary than an album. From beginning to end, America the Anxious 2 weaves a cinematic tale that touches on all the ills of our country…Greed (“Crooked Man”), the rolling back of women’s rights (“Her Body?”, “Her Choice?” and “Choices”), political violence and rage (“InFluSense,” and “Miss Liberty”), climate change (”Weather You Believe Or Not”), religious intolerance (“Dying For Faith”), social media manipulation (“They All Lie the Same”), mental health issues (“When I’m Sleeping,” “Isolation,” and “Losing Daylight” among others.) and a general unraveling of our society (“Everything’s Ok” and “Apple Pie”). Ariano’s placement of interludes is as flawless as it is impactful, utilizing real world audio clips seemingly made for this project to usher in a new chapter of the auditory film with each track. From the eerie intensity of the opening track to the sorrowful longing of the final chord, each track writes the story of our new America and the promise of what we can be. Sonically, America the Anxious 2 isn’t tied to one sound, but rather equally embraces and intertwines bass-heavy hip hop with rock guitar and melancholy strings and piano, creating a musical landscape as varied and diverse as the culture the album examines.
America the Anxious 2 sees both new and familiar names gracing the project with their artistry. Long Beach hip hop legend Capitol I-Man delivers his signature visionary intellectual stylings on “Dying for Faith,” while frequent collaborators T.R.3 (Atlanta), Kaze Jones (SoCal) and Mr. Forge (Baltimore) go hard on the post-Roe fallout banger, “Choices.” Southwest indigenous artist and newcomer InFluSense drops enlightened rhymes on “InFluSense” while “They All Lie the Same” features El Paso-raised and LA-based indigenous rapper Artson. Iconic New Mexico MC and musical partner Def-I delivers poetic lyricism on “Die Alone.” While mostly self-produced by Ariano, America the Anxious 2 features production from SoCal native Nu3tron on “Miss Liberty” and “I Don’t Need a Dance Song,” along with LA staple LDonTheCut on “PTSD.”
The videos for America the Anxious 2, “Losing Daylight” and “Apple Pie,” were directed and edited by the multifaceted talent (and frequent collaborator), Atlanta-based T.R.3. T.R.3’s creative vision builds a visual playground that perfectly captures the moodiness and rawness of Ariano’s heart-felt verses and impassioned delivery.
Born from Ariano’s internal pull to speak truth to power regarding the events unfolding in our country, America the Anxious 2 is bound to become one of his most powerful projects to date.
Check out the album below.
https://foundation-media.ffm.to/ata2
https://open.spotify.com/album/6YGofrw2sEejCoa6TqFJox?si=dMemSs39Sw6XkIWYNp2ReQ
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