Inside Ella Rosa's World of Beats and Heartfelt Lyrics

Ella Rosa’s latest single "STAY 4 LOVE" is a unique fusion of singer-songwriter storytelling and upbeat drum and bass. She shares with Pleaser the inspiration behind the song, drawn from an awkward night out and reveals the behind-the-scenes magic that brought it to life. 

From her classical music background to her love for pop, electronic and dance sounds, Ella discusses how living between the UK and Los Angeles has influenced her artistry. Ella Rosa is an artist you don’t want to skip, her upbeat music and raw lyrics create an eclectic vibe you cannot get enough of.

PHOTO BY HANNAH DEVRIES

Pleaser: How would you describe your new single “STAY 4 LOVE” to someone who has never heard it?

Ella Rosa: It's a mix between singer-songwriter and drum and bass. If you're looking for both of those things, you can get that all in this one song. It has a storyline, but it's still upbeat and fun. 

What is the backstory behind this song?

ER: I wrote it about a night that I went out and it seemed like everything went wrong. The opening line of the song is “Credit card declined.” — for a period of my life, my debit card was basically like a gift card, and it was give or take whether or not it would go through. I remember I was so normalized to that slight humiliation. As that happened, I looked over and the guy that I was somewhat dating at the time was in the line chatting up another girl. I still stayed and was so gung-ho about the whole thing. Most of my music is making something beautiful from an embarrassing situation.

What was the process of writing and creating this song like for you?

ER: This song was a collaboration with Donnie and Max, who produced it. We all met up and listened to music that was inspiring us at the time. They had just come off producing a Disclosure track and I was super inspired by that. I really loved everything they were doing in their space and this culture they created, so it was perfect synergy. 

We started messing around on the instruments that were in the room and I began humming a melody. By the next day we were creating the lyrics. The situation the song is about happened only the week prior, so I knew I wanted to write about that. I usually try and take a day between creating the audio and lyrics for a song, because it's a completely different headspace in my mind.

What is your favorite memory from making this song?

ER: At the beginning of the song, there's a sound of an airplane. We were so annoyed by it, because we could hear them in the studio. They were like ‘We need to wait until the airplanes go over,’ and I decided we should keep them in because they sound cool.

You were trained in classical music and opera, did you always listen to pop/dance music during that time?

ER: I was constantly listening to pop, drum and bass, and electronic music while I was training. I was going to and performing at clubs while doing opera lessons. It was almost a double-life.

You have lived in both the UK and Los Angeles. Would you say that you resonate more with the UK or LA music scene?

ER: I would say the authenticity of the UK music scene is something I appreciate. I love how in the UK, whether or not they get the numbers, they're gonna do it regardless. I would say I’m 60-40, favoring the UK.

Who is your biggest musical inspiration?

ER: I love Sting, but I wouldn't say like, my music sounds like Sting. I just think he's a cool person.

Who is your biggest fashion/creative inspiration?

ER: I wouldn't say there's one person, I am very inspired by the fashion and mixed media industry as a whole. I love meeting people who aren't in music and create art. I take creative inspiration from any creatives out there, I am inspired by them all.

If you could write a movie soundtrack, what movie would it be?

ER: I wish I did the Barbie one, because that was an homage to my little kid self. If there was a story about Wes Anderson, I would love to do a documentary about him. Any kind of feminism or LGBTQ+ rights story, I would love to do something that's philanthropic.

If you could tour with any artist, alive or dead, who would it be?

ER: Lady Gaga. Like, I would live and breathe and die. I would cut off a limb for that, honestly.

What can we expect from you in the future?

ER: I have a release party that I'm doing on Thursday, November 14th, to celebrate the release of “STAY 4 LOVE.” I also have an acoustic and full music video for “STAY 4 LOVE” coming out. 

I have a remix to “FUN,” my most recent single, coming out in late December, when everyone's home, so hopefully that will put a pep in people's step during the holidays. The goal in the next year is to get some type of support tour.