Recorded inside a geodome at upstate New York's The Outlier Inn, Gently Powerful is a live reimagining of Anna Wise's debut solo LP, As If It Were Forever (and includes one track, "Balance In All" from Wise's earlier release, The Feminine: Act II). Almost exactly one year to the date of its release, Wise and some of her closest collaborators safely gathered to celebrate As If It Were Forever with these intimate live recordings.
All tracks on Gently Powerful feature performances by Anna Wise (vocals, loops), Jon Bap (drums, vocals, samples, guitar), Joy Morales (keys, synthesizer, vocals) and Juuwah (bass), recorded and mixed by Steve Vealey, and mastered by Kevin Moo. The arrangements heard on these recordings were originally conceptualized as part of Re/Birth, Wise’s February 2020 residency in Los Angeles produced in partnership with Gxrlschool.
Wise first gained recognition with her band, Sonnymoon, and through collaborations with Kendrick Lamar. Wise won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Performance for her collaboration on Lamar's "These Walls," and she has appeared on each of his projects since good kid, m.A.A.d. city. In 2016, Wise independently released The Feminine: Act I, her first solo EP, and followed it up in 2017 with The Feminine: Act II. The studio version of As If It Were Forever saw a return to collaboration, featuring Little Simz, Jon Bap, Nick Hakim, Denzel Curry, Pink Siifu and more. Recently, Wise has also collaborated on records from Durand Bernarr, Mndsgn and L'Rain.