An Up and Coming Artist: Alessi Rose

Adeline Williams '26  ~  November 2024

If you take one thing away from this article, let it be this: Alessi Rose will have her name in bright lights. She has an indescribable “it-factor” that music consumers are hungry for. After beginning to release music in 2023, the rising star has already racked up 400,000 devoted monthly listeners on Spotify and 60,000 Instagram followers. The peculiar thing about Rose is that her fanbase is as dedicated as Swifties. Fans drench their whole lives in Alessi’s music, constantly telling everyone they know that they need to get on the Alessi Rose bandwagon. Alessi welcomes the enthusiasm through Zoom calls where she plays both covers and originals for excited fans. This unwavering support has aided her growth and will continue to do so, giving me no doubt in her rise to stardom.

While her dedicated fanbase is one reason for Rose’s rise to fame, the music is what truly matters and Alessi knows this. What makes Rose’s songs unique are her raw, relatable lyrics. Diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the musician found herself drowned in her thoughts. As someone with OCD, I can confirm the feeling: you overthink every little detail of every little interaction you have just to find something that went wrong with it. From there, you latch onto a minor detail and engulf yourself in it, letting the singular misstep take over your entire life until you mess up again, repeating the endless cycle. When Alessi began writing music, she found that it helped her cope with her OCD. Laying all of her overwhelming thoughts out in her lyrics, she was able to release each stressor from her mind, and use that to create a catchy tune. Fans love her music because of this; each song tells a complex story that many have experienced themselves. Her lyrics make listeners think “Hey, I feel that way too,” or “I also have this thought,” which is an incredibly powerful feeling that Alessi is impressively able to capture in every song. 

Moving away from her Derby, England roots, Alessi attends university in London, living out a Hannah Montana lifestyle: student by day and rising popstar by night. When she began promoting her music online, she blocked her entire secondary school year group, afraid of what they would say. Sure enough, they found her Instagram and mocked her for it. Nevertheless, Rose began pitching her songs on TikTok live until one day, a producer stumbled upon her. That was the moment she was discovered, securing herself a way to record her brilliant work. 

Rose’s debut EP, rumination as a ritual, is a chaotic bundle of unique tracks with influence from artists such as Gracie Abrams and Olivia Rodrigo. With her authentic lyrics and addictive melodies, the new artist perfectly captures the booming “messy-pop” genre. The EP is cleverly titled rumination as a ritual because it is about constantly overthinking every little interaction until it becomes a form of self sabotage, tying back to her struggles with OCD. Capturing the title perfectly, Rose transports listeners into her mind, sharing both the good and the bad. Her captivating lyrics are both catchy and meaningful. From “lucy,” a sad song about a frenemy, to “CRUSH!” a flirtatious tune with a bouncy beat, the EP’s versatile tracks bring you through every emotion.

The 22-year-old songwriter shares her quirky, authentic self with her audience, and people love it. She takes what is in the mind of many young women and puts it on paper, highlighting all of the rocky moments between the start and end. Her music makes listeners feel not only seen, but proud of their lives; she emphasizes the beauty mixed in with the mess of girlhood. This connection with so many she has built through her heartbreaking ballads is the main reason for her success. Her iconic saying “If people don’t want me to write songs about them, they shouldn’t do bad things,” sums up the powerful and entertaining attitude of Rose. She has an essence about her that screams “popstar.” Her vulnerable, quirky, and artistic spirit are the perfect combination for success in today’s industry.