Aneesa Sheikh Happy Little Holiday

Aneesa Sheikh has released her latest new HOLIDAY single, "Happy Little Holiday". The song is her way of spreading cheer and joy during this uncertain time in the world. Music has been Aneesa's safe haven throughout the years and the holidays were a time when she gathered with her loved ones, creating memories and goals for the coming year.

Born in Kentucky, Aneesa is Pakistani-American who grew up in a close-knit family. The youngest of 5 siblings, Aneesa was a go-getter from the start. Having an athletic family, she dabbled in swimming and figure skating leading her to pursue competitive skating, at the age of nine. At one point she was skating eight hours a day and commuting back and forth from Kentucky to the training facility in Michigan known for turning out big-name Olympic skaters like Tara Lapinski. While she has a talent for skating and was captain of the varsity figure skating team at her high school, her true passion was for music. Inspired by Miley Cyrus, Aneesa learned to play the guitar at age 8. As soon as she became comfortable playing the guitar (acoustic and electric), she began to write her own music. One of her first singles "Bad Thing" was intended to open the eyes of teenagers involved in toxic relationships. The music video accumulated over 139k views on YouTube. Her most recent single "New Normal" was a cathartic reflection on her very close relationship with her father who suddenly suffered from a stroke. The dynamics after the experience changed her life and she found herself adapting to a "new normal" way of living. Being a teen became more of a struggle for Aneesa as the roles shifted and she became the adult and caretaker. The experience brought on an emotional weight as she saw her father in a vulnerable state daily. The universal message in her lyrics is that everyone is experiencing a "new normal" due to the pandemic which has altered daily routines and has impacted relationships with loved ones similar to her relationship to her ailing father.

"Tough Times" was another single holding an emotional note for her as it was written to express her feelings after her father was hospitalized. Writing the song helped her share her uphill journey knowing that resilience, determination and hope is then outcome to anyone's personal trauma, timing this as a reminder for those needing courage and strength during these unprecedent times.

The young beauty may be in the beginning of her adult life, but it hasn't discouraged her from pursuing other passions such as philanthropic work. Her non-profit organization, Music4M.I.R.A.C.L.E. is an acronym for Music, Inspires, Reaches, Accepts, Captures, Loves, Equally. She founded the non-profit as she truly believed that music was a miracle to her father during his rehabilitation from his first stroke. Her goal through Music4M.I.R.A.C.L.E. is to spread music therapy and give hope to those who are experiencing a medical crisis. She has been given the opportunities to perform at many charities such as St. Jude's, The Healing Notes Foundation, and many rehabilitation and nursing centers. During COVID-19 and the shutdowns, she has Skyped with many institutions and singing for patients who have been isolated from many outside visitors.

In early 2020, on a whim, Aneesa decided to do something that was out of her comfort zone and signed up to be a contestant for Miss Michigan Teen USA. Being the first pageant she had ever been a part of, she was overwhelmed with joy when the announcer called her the winner. While she's honored to be part of such an amazing opportunity, Aneesa is focused on living out her dream to be in the ranks of her musical idols such as Jewel.

Through her music, she hopes to encourage others to live a courageous life without regrets. Currently residing in Michigan, Aneesa likes to spend her free time dancing, jump roping and loves everything involving beauty and fashion.