Rose Fall - 'Sad Black Girl'

LA-based singer-songwriter Rose Fall has spent years developing her sound and sharing her experiences, both privately and publicly. Check out her Youtube channel.

A first generation American with West African roots, Rose grew up on American mainstream commercial music before discovering the diversity of the post-Internet music scene.

Rose Fall’s debut single, “Scared of Being Alone” has received more than 7,000 plays and was featured on Music To Label’s “Music To Navigate a Life To” Spotify playlist. Her latest single, “Sad Black Girl,” was intentionally written as part of the artist’s desire to diversify her musical repertoire. In "Sad Black Girl", Rose enters the contemporary folk scene with intimate lyrics set to acoustic guitar.

Solemn block chords on keys, played on the first downbeat of each phrase, are joined by light strumming guitar in the opening of Rose Fall’s new folk single, “Sad Black Girl.” The musical landscape of "Sad Black Girl" is sparse allowing for the song’s poetic lyrics to take center stage. The recording has an intentional raw quality to it that compliments the song's honest lyrics.

Rose enters singing, “Lately I’ve been scared that dreams coming true.” Her voice has a soft, mellow tone that suits the emotion of the song very well. Rising in range and inner intensity, Rose sings, ”Lately I’ve been wondering if I give too much for nothing and if I’ll find someone that makes me feel something.” Her vocal performance is tender and authentic.

At the heart of “Sad Black Girl” is excellent song-writing and thoughtful lyrics. Rose Fall states that she is “wearing my heart on my sleeve” and the song's lyrics read like a page from her personal diary. One of the main themes of “Sad Black Girl” is insecurity coupled with defiance. “They tell you I can’t sound like this and they tell you I can’t sing like this. Lately I’ve been wondering what happens when they get in your head and make you wonder what you’re worth.” In these lines, Rose exposes her frustrations over black artists being pigeonholed into specific genres, like R&b and hip-hop. "Sad Black Girl" is a welcome addition to the indie folk circuit.

Along with lyrics about fear and insecurity, there is a hidden strength in “Sad Black Girl” that comes from Rose Fall’s unique ability to lay her emotions on the line, sing her feelings with a quiet intimacy and leave listeners feeling like they just heard something very strong and confident.

With reflective writing and moving melodies, “Sad Black Girl” is brave folk songwriting that leaves a lasting impression.

Please visit Rose Fall on Spotify.

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