THE LAST WORD: Anthony Hughes

A N T H O N Y H U G H E S

The 29-year-old Londoner is bringing sexy back to 2022. Yes, please! Interview by MARC ANDREWS

DNA: We love your track Don’t Try, and the video has a very sexy vibe. Anthony: Thank you. Don’t Try is all about empowerment. I wrote it to show my determination and confidence as an artist and a person. I wanted to incorporate my own style and fashion into the video. The use of sexy lighting and a sexy model obviously helped. You seem comfortable showing off your body. Oh, gosh, I’m not sure I agree! [Laughs] Since having covid I’ve found it a lot harder to work out and gained a few extra puppy pounds! A few years ago, I was obsessed with trying to be bigger and more muscular, whereas as I get older, maintaining fitness and a healthier look is more important. I spend a lot of time working on my mental health, too. It’s just as important as your body. What have you been working on for 2022? 2022 has too many things going on! I’ve been in the studio finishing off a lot of new collaborations and tracks to go towards my debut album. Do you have a career game plan going ahead? I do, yes. I want to write the next biggest dance track! I want to garner interest from producers and labels. I also made a promise to myself to be a yes man and try and say yes to every gig, open mic night and collaboration I can. It’s difficult to manage yourself, brand yourself, find new artistic collaborations, write and perform. It’s a great time to be an openly queer music artist, would you agree? I agree. It’s a great time to be able to be able to express yourself freely in the music industry. That said, it’s not perfect. We live in a world full of judgement and opinion and there are still a lot of people who can’t come to terms with other people being themselves. The LGBTQIA+ community are definitely more celebrated and accepted now, which is how it should be, and I love the fact I can be unapologetically me. What do you consider your best feature? My chest or my eyes. My chest is something I’ve been complimented on, and every time I have a love interest the first thing they notice, apparently, is my eyes. Are you romantically attached? Yes, but I won’t say too much about my partner because of his career. I have a very happy and steady relationship with him, although I don’t know how he puts up with me. [Laughs] One of your songs is called My Thing. What are the things you love to do? Music has always inf luenced my life. I worked as a professional dancer for six years until covid struck. I saw a lot of the world and it helped me realise how much I wanted to be in the spotlight. I danced for

a lot of artists and the only thing on my mind during the gig was that I wanted to be the one singing my own music. How was your coming out? My mum asked me when I was 17 if I was gay and I eventually found the courage to tell her. I was bullied at school and had a difficult time accepting myself, which made the idea of coming out even harder, however, I’ve always had the most supportive family who have accepted me. Was there ever any question of you not coming as a gay artist? As an artist, I’ve never liked to completely identify myself through my sexuality. I’m very proud of who I am as a person and I’m very proud of my sexuality, but my sexuality does not define my music. What cause is closest to your heart? Equal rights. Everybody should be respected and we shouldn’t allow history to dictate what’s wrong and right. MORE: Find info on Anthony’s upcoming releases and gigs on Spotify, YouTube and Instagram (anthonyhughesuk) I had a difficult time accepting myself, which made the idea of coming out even harder…