Allen Anjeh is here to speak her truth. A bold fashion-forward voice within alt-R&B, she draws on her experiences as a child in Cameroon, and a teenager in Denmark, to sculpt something truly hers, something utterly unique. Her debut EP ‘Ó mmɛ ne’ has been years in the making, five songs that touch on inner aspects of her soul. The beginning of something truly beautiful, it’s marked by the simple joy of communication.
But let’s go back to the beginning. Allen Anjeh grew up in Kumba, a small city in Cameroon. “Apparently it’s the city with the youngest population in the country,” she beams. Largely brought up by her grandmother and aunties she remembers idyllic surroundings, nestled between her siblings, her cousins, extended family members and with music an ever-present companion on the radio. “My brother was a 90s kid” she recalls. “So we had Nas, Biggie, Outkast, 50 Cent etc. We didn’t have a choice!” Blended in with this were the latest MTV videos fro...

Allen Anjeh is here to speak her truth. A bold fashion-forward voice within alt-R&B, she draws on her experiences as a child in Cameroon, and a teenager in Denmark, to sculpt something truly hers, something utterly unique. Her debut EP ‘Ó mmɛ ne’ has been years in the making, five songs that touch on inner aspects of her soul. The beginning of something truly beautiful, it’s marked by the simple joy of communication.
But let’s go back to the beginning. Allen Anjeh grew up in Kumba, a small city in Cameroon. “Apparently it’s the city with the youngest population in the country,” she beams. Largely brought up by her grandmother and aunties she remembers idyllic surroundings, nestled between her siblings, her cousins, extended family members and with music an ever-present companion on the radio. “My brother was a 90s kid” she recalls. “So we had Nas, Biggie, Outkast, 50 Cent etc. We didn’t have a choice!” Blended in with this were the latest MTV videos from Destiny’s Child, Michael Jackson or Missy Elliott, while her grandmother would spin classics from Cameroon Makossa artists such as Manu Di Bango, or righteous Nigerian icon Fela Kuti. In short, it was an inspirational brew.
At the age of 12, however, Allen Anjeh’s life was turned upside down. Her mother was a former flight agent, settling in the Danish city of Copenhagen – still just a child, Allen Anjeh flew out to join her. All of a sudden Allen had to adjust to new landscapes, meet new friends, and learn an entirely new language. “It was a drastic change for me,” she admits. “A complete culture shock. I had to learn Danish, which was totally new to me. Everything was new.”
Sent to a boarding school, she became the only Black student on the register. It was a welcoming environment, but also a tough one, too. “Getting to know people was hard,” she sighs. “Danish people are really nice and really sweet, but they’re also guarded, in a way. It was really hard as a kid to get into social groups. I honestly didn’t know what racism was until I came to Europe. Mentally it was very draining.”
Music became her safe space. Allen Anjeh was forever singing to herself, endlessly humming her favourite songs. Eventually, someone noticed. Winning a spot in the school choir, she stole the show with an incredible solo. “The reaction was so surprising,” she gasps. Not only that, but she entered herself and her best friend at the time in The X Factor as a prank, with the pair winning huge popularity on the show. “Except I didn’t really like the experience all that much,” she reflects. “It wasn’t about music, it was entertainment.”
Rejecting record label deals to focus on her studies, Allen’s time on the X Factor brought her into the orbit of studio figures Esben Zefting and Mark Fosnæs. Nurturing her songwriting, they helped Allen Anjeh to figure out where her voice lay. “I’ve always written my thoughts down,” she says. “I have my little notepad, or I’ll use my phone. And eventually it all started to make sense. I just got better, to be honest. And I got to experience life. The more experience you have the more you can write. I’ve been writing ever since.”
It's these instincts which lie behind her new EP. ‘Ó mmɛ ne’ is a wonderful piece of work, five songs that search for truth and cherish honesty. Speaking from the heart, the EP becomes a means of tethering Allen Anjeh to her home, and to the communities that inspire her. She’s pushing back against Western preconceptions of African life, shedding light on the continent in a positive manner. It’s a project that focuses on bringing the African diaspora together by working alongside one another. African culture and people sit at the core of this project.“I would say the EP is five songs dedicated to my love for my people, and the culture.”
Lead single ‘Rising Sun’ has already made a stunning impression. Scintillating alt-R&B songwriting with a clear pop edge, it’s the work of an artist bringing their voice into laser-sharp focus. Produced alongside Danish artist Mont Jake, it’s a delicious introductory statement. “There is a recurring theme of communication in my work,” she says. “’Rising Sun’ is about two people going head-to-head, but learning to find a better way to process those emotions. When I wrote the song, I was in a frustrated headspace, and writing it helped me gain perspective.”
An EP replete with stunning highlights, two songs – ‘Once In A Million’ and ‘Circumstance’ – were pieced together with London-based Nigerian artist Azekel. A true multi-hyphenate, the pair immediately connected, with ‘Once In A Million’ clearly exhibiting their creative synergy. “He’s brilliant,” Allen beams. “I kept trying not to fumble in his presence! The song is about my experiences in Denmark, and my upbringing in Cameroon. It’s a love / hate thing. I would always say ‘Once In A Million’ is basically my song to the continent.”
Allen Anjeh’s bond to the people and culture of Cameroon goes deep. Ó mmɛ ne’ means ‘this is I’ in her grandmother’s dialect, while the EP will also be accompanied by a daring, eye-catching short film shot by fast-rising film maker Emmanuel Loca-Gisquet. The two travelled to Ghana to complete the film – sadly Cameroon’s political conflicts made it unsafe to film there – and the experience was simply unforgettable. “I grew up watching a lot of movies,” Allen recalls. “I knew I wanted to tell this story through my lens... so I just had to go back home! Ghana was so peaceful and beautiful. There’s so much history there.”
Inspired by Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking ‘BAD’ film, senegalese masterpiece Touki Bouki directed by Djibril Diop Mambéty and many others, the video offers an interlocking cohesion of visual arts and music. But then, this is at the core of Allen Anjeh’s DNA – she’s fascinated by fashion, photography and cinematography sparking an ongoing collaboration with H&M and a creative relationship with other Danish brands. “My love for fashion, film making and music coexists harmoniously together,” she smiles. “I’ve always been interested in artistic expressionism, I guess I got that from my grandmother .”
Perhaps that’s why her music feels so finessed. Luxurious songwriting, her 21st century vision of soulful pop resonates with gleeful honesty. Take ‘I SEA U’ – the first song completed for the EP, it’s actually about a crush. “Except I couldn’t tell him!” she laughs. “I was in my little bubble. I was too scared to tell him, so I wrote this song. It’s the honeymoon phase of liking someone, and finding a way to express it.”

This is why Allen Anjeh makes music – she seizes on an emotion, and then moves forwards. “I need to understand what I’m feeling first before I can move on,” she says, “and the best way for me to do that is through music. It’s great that other people connect to these songs, but it’s my safe haven – music is where I can let things out.”
A blaze of creativity, this EP honours mother Africa and highlights the culture that bore here. There’s so much more to come, and Allen Anjeh intends to make each song count. “You should never limit yourself,” she says. “I’m always in the moment.”...

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