So Much Better: Mind-Slowing Spoken-Word Poetry –

ANOU slowed the world right down on So Much Better, a spoken-word revelation that treats language as both shelter and mirror. For fans of the poignant introspection of Kae Tempest and George the Poet, this freshly penned invitation by the Beirut-based artist encourages listeners to lose themselves in imagery as it spirals gently against ambient neo-classical motifs. There’s a deliberate unhurriedness here, a conscious stepping away from noise, urgency, and performance for performance’s sake.

So Much Better moves at a meditative tempo, allowing space for words to land, linger, and settle. Anou homes in on gratitude as a cleanser for the mind, body, and soul, delivering lines that feel quietly deliberate rather than theatrically projected. It’s within the ambiently artful embrace of the track that a subtle realisation creeps in. Your own thoughts have likely been sprinting between past, present, and future, rarely pausing long enough to allow love or light any breathing room. This release offers that pause. It asks nothing more than attention, and in return, it offers grounding.

The production remains intentionally restrained, letting the spoken-word core guide the emotional gravity. Neo-classical textures hum softly in the background, acting as a supportive undercurrent rather than a distraction. So Much Better feels like a guided meditation without instruction, a space where cracks are acknowledged, glossed over gently, and left open to healing rather than scrutiny.

So Much Better is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast