Written by Hero Magnus
Drea Rose is a Los Angeles musician who has released more than a dozen singles + covers in 2020 alone. Previously, we reviewed her sultry song “Intuition.” But, Rose has only grown from there. Her new single, “Good,” is a stylish masterpiece perfectly suited for her own quirkiness and surrealism.
In “Good,” Rose matches complex melodies and rhythmic melisma with a funky electronic soundscape. The bouncy fishbowl sounds give off an 80s vibe, the kind rarely matched with vocals that are so serious and earnest.
“Hard to hear but it’s for the best / I wanna get this off my chest / does it make you feel good?,” croons Rose on the prechorus. Her apparent hesitancy makes the snark that is present in the song even more poignant. She’s brimming with confidence, every word a calculated rhetorical move. (“Wish you didn’t live by what your friends say,” sings Rose casually in the second verse.)
The combination is part of what makes this song so special. It’s a crisper take than an apathetic voice with a nonsensical funky beat, and more interesting, too, than a happy r&b track. The verses especially possess this unusual combination of freshness to snarkiness, much more than the sum of its parts.
Rose also released a groovy cool-cat cover of “Rich Girl” by Hall & Oates this year, and it rings beautifully in the light of Rose’s own queerness, which adds a new element to the song. Now it’s Drea Rose talking to the rich girl, reminding her how she’ll never be strong while maybe also—flirting?
Drea Rose’s voice is something special, too. She hits an almost jazzy breathiness in parts, a la Norah Jones’s sultry lullabies. Rose calls herself the “sonic declaration of California’s laid-back and eclectic culture.”
Rose shows off even more versatility in her slower ballads, like the recent “Behind Your Eyes,” where she hums softly to her lover: “sinking between your thoughts and all the memories align / press my love behind your eyes.” The bells and whistles on “Good” are lovely, but Drea Rose has already more than proved her artistry.
Find out how Drea got her start in music in our exclusive interview.
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