Ana Popovic

The Serbian guitarist on the "jubilant" recording of her new album

- BY ANDREW DALY

WHILE MAKING 2023'S Power, Ana Popovic was dealing with breast cancer. She survived, leading to introspection on 2025's Dance to the Rhythm. "You start thinking, 'How much time do I have?'," she says. "You think, 'Do I want to keep going at this pace? If I do, what do I want to give people?'"

Popovic's take on the blues has always been edgy. She's never cared what people think and isn't focused on tradition. "I want to be new, uncensored, not fake," she says. "I want to be myself and to give the real me to the audience and listeners with every new record."

Popovic says Dance to the Rhythm features "a strong sense of roots." Her "musical home is the starting point, as I'm always aware of where I came from musically." But she's not planning on staying home. She isn't sure where she's going, and she's not worried.