Rosie Darling

Life is full of coming-of-age moments. For instance, part of adulthood means taking stock of relationships that no longer serve, and feeling at peace with leaving certain connections — be they romantic or friendly — in the past. Pop singer/songwriter Rosie Darling has touched on these topics in the past, particularly on her 2021 EP Coping, but she takes introspection to a deeper level on her forthcoming debut LP via Nettwerk.

A naturally confessional songwriter who channels her experiences into gorgeously arranged, minimal pop, the Boston-born, Los Angeles-based singer is the most vulnerable she has ever been on this latest batch of songs. “The new stuff I've been working on, I'm a little scared of it,” Rosie admits. “But I think it's a good thing. These songs feel elevated, like a more mature version of myself. It’s less ‘hey, you hurt my feelings’ and more ‘why did I let you hurt my feelings?’”

To achieve an “organic, less-is-more” aesthetic, both sonically and visually, Rosie teamed up with longtime producer and collaborator Justin Gammella, a handful of Swedish-based songwriters Boy in Space, Winona Oak, Hilda Stenmalm, and Wynter Bethel of the skyrocketing indie duo Tommy Lefroy. Rosie also decamped to the more rural setting of Washington State, where she filmed visuals in a National Forest — out in the open, away from a studio setting. In her stark and gorgeous “Lost On You” video, Rosie wanders alone through late-fall foliage and taps out a piano melody amid a stark, snowy landscape. In this pastoral setting, Rosie finds comfort in isolation and a touch of fear — will she ever find her way out of the woods?

“For all of the visual content, I was like, 'We gotta go in the woods. We gotta go outside. We need to be in the moss. We need to be in the trees,” Rosie says of her vision.

Always pushing herself forward, Rosie begins the songwriting process with just a word or an idea, which builds through creative collaboration and Rosie’s own love of layered lyricism. “In pop music, you hear a lot of the same rhymes over and over again,” Rosie muses. “I like there to be a huge metaphor that reveals itself along the way… It's layered and different every time. A lot of the stuff that I've been writing more recently is a little bit outside of the traditional pop structure. It feels less safe. It feels like a risk — and more vulnerable.”

The result is a stunning collection of poetic alt-pop tracks that unpack the grief from lost friendships and relationships. There might be pain, but ultimately Rosie’s introspection leads to personal growth and catharsis. The stories might be personal, but they are also intensely relatable — listeners will immediately connect to Rosie’s words and find their own relief.

Opening with the gradually escalating piano ballad “Lost On You,” Rosie’s debut LP transitions to a poignant duet with Swedish singer-songwriter Boy In Space, “Nail In The Coffin,” which will resonate with anyone preparing to cut something — or someone — off for good. “I wanted to write a song about a relationship ending on bad terms and needing to walk away from it even when you have unresolved conflict between each other,” Rosie adds. “I think as someone who wants peace and resolution, it's hard to fully leave something when you don't feel like they've understood you or that you maybe didn't understand them, and you have to end it in conflict with each other. That's life sometimes though! We don't always speak the same languages and sometimes we have to walk away and end things unresolved and that's painful.”

On the raw, soulful, and poignantly harmonized “Overthrown,” Rosie is joined by Swedish singer-songwriter Winona Oak; together, they weave a cinematic tale about “accepting defeat,” as Rosie says. Emulating Imogen Heap’s famous folktronica ballad “Hide And Seek,” “Overthrown” plays with the harmonizer as it spins a tale about acceptance. “It's like, let's face it. We're doomed, and let's just accept it in whatever capacity that is,” Rosie adds.

Later, the aching, intimate “Justify” layers Rosie’s delicate vocals to create lush harmonies before culminating in a booming crescendo. Opening with light acoustic guitar, “Justify” blooms with more folktronica harmonies and explodes into an arena-filling bridge. Lyrically, “Justify” outlines a relationship where one person rationalizes poor treatment. “'Justify' comes from a place of realizing that no matter how much you care about someone, if they aren’t treating you as an equal, it’s not a relationship you want to have anyway," Rosie explains. "If you’re constantly holding onto the good in someone and ignoring the red flags, there will come a point where you will have to choose yourself and this song represents that moment to me."

Rosie’s journey continues on the thoughtful piano track “Boxes,” which is a companion piece to “Justify.” Against somber piano, Rosie considers the end of a relationship as the keys echo as if in an empty room. “‘Boxes’ is about making yourself small around somebody else who is dimming your light,” she explains. As Rosie discovers, she has an inner strength that’ll carry her through the hardest times.

On the self-effacing and congenial “Villain,” Rosie acknowledges that she only has so much control over how others will feel about her. “It’s OK if you hate me, I used to hate me too,” she shrugs, deciding that if someone has to paint her as the “villain” in their narrative to gain closure, then they are entitled to those feelings. Rosie expands: “It's kind of like, you can think what you want to think about me, and if I'm the villain in your story, I can find peace in that.”

If there is any song that sets the tone for Rosie’s latest collection, it’s the serene “I’m Different Now.” Over barely there string plucks, Rosie reflects on the ways she has grown after getting some necessary distance. “The lyrics are, ‘Oh, I hope one day I love again, another way, because I am different now.’ It's not that I'm incapable – I’m just different,” Rosie says. “It's hopeful, but it's also recognizing that something changed you.”

Personal growth is painful but necessary. If you face life’s changes head-on, however, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. “I really want this album to invite you to look within yourself,” Rosie concludes. “Take account of your life and try to be able to trust again, even if it means being more cautious. I want to celebrate the thorny process, feel the pain of it and hopefully, find healing. I want to encourage people to have a stronger heart and an appreciation of who we are becoming no matter what life throws at us. Let’s get to the other side!”