When I was in middle school and high school I used to scoff at the radio for constantly playing the same 5 artists over and over again. There were so many other worthy artists and songs to be heard but of course radio is a monopoly, so what do we expect? I used to scour the interwebs trying to find bands that I hadn’t heard before, which back then I had to partake in quite the scavenger hunt since there were no streaming services to help browse undiscovered talent. And that’s why I personally love Spotify for finding hidden gems.
This week’s “undiscovered” talent, however, came to me via a DM message. A simple and energetic message asking me to possibly review the latest release.
I’ll be honest, I get quite a few messages from artists asking me to take a listen to their music, and I’ll continue to be honest – it is rare that I’ll be blown away—Chey Rose is the exception.
I begrudgingly opened the provided link, and blinked, it was good… it was really good.
I then opened up Spotify and searched for her profile, were her previous releases also this good?
One by one I tapped to listen to single after single. I have been jamming out ever since. Which is why I am so excited to tell you about Chey Rose and HIGHLY encourage you to check her out.
“Number One” by Chey Rose
Let’s be honest, 2020 is a lot of things, among all the chaos it has been a good indicator of unveiling who your real friends are. Quarantine led to qualifying your friendships.
Track with me for a second: you’re in quarantine, sure you’re being careful and have limited contact with people. But, let’s be honest, you probably have certain people you’re okay with seeing and then there are certain others…. well, let’s just say COVID-19 can be a convenient excuse for why you’re not going to their birthday celebration. Am I right? C’mon, I know I am.
And while you might have had your significant other, roommates, or children who stayed at home with you, there are tons of others who didn’t have anyone during lockdown.
How about this—have you ever been alone in your house, apartment or whatever and the silence and darkness becomes eerily enveloping? Exposing yourself to the fact that you’re all alone on a Friday night. Chey Rose speaks directly to that unnerving feeling as she starts off her song with:
“Apartment is empty, and lately it scares me”
“Number One” uncovers Chey’s vulnerable side. She feels like she has no one, that she’s all alone. She comes to this realization as she “hears parties” happening outside and well, she wasn’t invited. As she watches the world from inside, her mind tells her that everyone has someone—except her.
“I’m no one’s number one.”
The track is ultimately pop with a R&B flavoring, beckoning Alt-Pop artists like Lauv and LANY. And although it deals with a dark subject, the pulsing beat is addicting and full of life. The added textures of rowdy partygoers in the intro that bubble up once again in the pre-chorus are some of my favorite effects. Simply creating a complimentary yet stark contrast to the ever-growing feeling of longing and belonging that Chey Rose aches for. Her hauntingly echoed BGVs remind me of what you’d hear on a Billy Eilish creation.
Chey’s single has found its way onto several curated playlists, the reasoning I would assume is due to how authentic the message is. Her brutally honest admission to herself about being alone, unfortunately, is painstakingly relatable. A reality at some point or other for some that can be unbearable to live in.
The chorus ends with such; a conclusive and heartbreaking statement:
“I just wanna be the first one someone thinks of.”
However, the 2nd verse opens up into a bright and warm daydream. You’re able to hear the smile in her voice, as we see a glimpse of what Chey’s really wanting-- what it would be like to share her life with someone. They would talk about their days and laugh over how she was late yet again because she took a wrong turn and then stopped for coffee, ‘oh typical you’, her friend would cackle.
The concept was born out from Chey’s personal experience on the 4th of July. A holiday usually spent with friends, normally a huge celebration, however for her she spent it all alone.
“‘I'm no one's number one’ — those are the exact words that popped into my head the night of July 4, when all my friends already had other plans & I realized I would be spending the holiday alone. I ended up spontaneously driving 6 hours to my hometown in Ohio to spend the weekend with my family, and it was on that drive that Number One’s chorus idea came to me.”
The rest of the song came flooding in to her and along with Boston based producer/writer/artist, Davin Kingston, the finished the track came to life.
“I just kind of spilled everything I was feeling into it - estrangement, loneliness & a longing to be somebody’s first choice. Then back in Nashville a few days later, I had my session with Davin and he helped me manifest my vision for the song so well that by the time we finished it, I knew I had to release it. My deepest hope is that other people will hear this song and realize that they’re not so alone after all, because every single person in the world has experienced these same feelings at some point. That’s what really connects us all and makes us human — we feel.”
To keep up the momentum, Chey released an accompanying lyric video and purposefully, in every shot, she’s alone.
Originally from Columbus, OH, Chey is currently in university at Belmont in Nashville. That’s right, she’s writing and releasing music in college. If she can already brew up amazing songs while still in school--I can’t imagine what she’ll come up with in the future after more “experience” in the music world.
Her current catalog is full of catchy, smart, and fun tracks. I recommend listening to “VCR” which was released last year and has over 1 million streams on Spotify. I also suggest “For a Friend”—that drips with delicious sass that closely resembles trio Avenue Beat, that is if they were an indie and Alt-Pop group.
Chey Rose is definitely one to watch. I know I’ll be anxiously awaiting any further releases from her, and if the recent tease on her Instagram story is any good indicator, it shouldn’t be that distant in the future.
Her debut EP, Even the Moon Goes Thru Phases, is set for release Fall 2020.
To keep up with Chey's show schedule and latest news, follow her on socials @CheyRoseTunes.
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