Hailing from Amsterdam, Dutch-based Surinamese/Native American artist ROSA has been pushing against toxic masculinity and male machismo since he debuted with ‘Phone’. Emphasizing an androgynous sense of style and showcasing vulnerability in layered lyrics, he’s been making sure his visual presentation encapsulates his grandiose ambitions to stand out and cut through the noise. Next year, ROSA will release his debut EP, FEMALE. It’s where his artistry coalesces into an identity: he reconfigures hip-hop, alt-R&B and pop with his own florid sense of melody, against the increasing genre-less landscape of modern production.
‘Eye Candy’ is the third and final single to be released ahead of ‘FEMALE’ and bookends a trilogy of thematically connected songs. It continues the tone set by ROSA to introduce listeners to his own brand of artistry and peel back multiple layers of masculinity and male emotional maturity. ‘Eye Candy’ tells a tale of a Generation Z woman who grew up in the ‘Instagram / Kim Kardashian / Reality TV’ era with a fragmented view of reality. Sonically falling between Dev Hynes and Anderson. Paak, ‘Eye Candy’ sees Rosa further establishing his own individual footprint. An entirely self-taught vocalist, he raps, sings and co-produces with a clear message; a male vocalist coming up in the current era should bow down to women. Period.
