Singer-songwiter-producer Rozei has been blurring the lines between genres since he first started writing music in his bedroom back in 2016. Inspired by the early 2000’s punk scene as well as artists like J Cole and Juice WRLD, Rozei has found a niche in the rising emo/pop-punk/hip-hop scene, and his latest single, “Crashing & Burning” continues to build off of his already unique sound.
This time last year, Rozei was being named one of Alternative Press’ “40 New Artists You Need To Hear” and he certainly lived up to the title, going on to release a handful of successful singles last year, ending with the successful “Way Back When”. With an already large catalog, “Crashing & Burning” kickstarting 2022 and new music on the horizon, Rozei is set to become one of the scene’s hottest names this year. We recently caught up with him to discuss the new single, his growth over the years and plans for the rest of 2022. Read the full interview and listen to “Crashing & Burning” now below.
Prelude Press: You stayed busy throughout 2021 with the release of a handful of singles, most recently “Way Back When” in December. What was the highlight of your year?
Rozei: My highlight of my year was probably the “Way Back When” release. We had gotten a lot of editorial playlist looks on that track on release & it was an exciting moment to be playlisted with some big names!
You also just released your newest single, “Crashing & Burning” – can you tell us a little bit about the track? What inspired it?
Crashing & Burning was inspired by my current relationship. We started off doing long distance and we had a lot of people doubting the success rate of it because long distance gets a bad rap. We had people even go as far as saying it would inevitably “crash & burn”. This song was pretty much a look into my thought process and emotions throughout these situations, using the chorus to mock the people who doubted us.
What would you like for fans to take away from “Crashing & Burning”?
Love doesn’t know distance. You can love someone just as intensely across the world as you can if they were your neighbor. If it feels right, go with your gut. We just recently moved in together and just got engaged so we proved a lot of people wrong.
Going into the new year, do you have any goals for the new music that you’re currently working on? Anything you’d like to accomplish?
It’s always been my goal to make every song better than the last. I’m continuing to learn and grow musically. I mainly want to shape and develop my discography into a newer sound to display my growth.
Your music blends many different genres, from hip-hop to pop-punk – when you first started writing music, who were some of your major influences? Who is currently inspiring you?
I grew up on a lot of early 2000’s punk. I still listen to a lot of & get a lot of inspiration from The All American Rejects, Panic! at the Disco, & Paramore. When I started writing music I took a lot of influence from J Cole, Juice WRLD & Lil Wayne.
You started out writing music in your bedroom back in 2016 and now, you’re signed to Atlantic and doing this full time. Obviously, a lot has changed in the past six years, but recently, how do you feel you’ve grown as an artist?
I feel that I’ve learned a lot since signing. Getting the opportunity to get into rooms with extremely talented people, whether it be artists, writers, producers, etc. has been a huge learning experience for me & I feel it reflects in the development of my music.
With “Crashing & Burning” out now, can fans expect to hear some more new music soon?
Absolutely. I am going to continue to tease new music on my socials & see what sticks!
Do you have any other big plans for 2022? Any shows coming up?
Hopefully an LP soon! Not any plans for shows at the moment but you never know, that could change.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you! I hope everyone is loving the new music! Check out “Crashing & Burning” wherever you get your music!
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