19-year-old Asian-American singer-songwriter Rocco has released his take on the classic ballad with his new single, “l-o-v-e“, out today. The declaration of love and emotion was originally crafted in Rocco’s makeshift bedroom studio, written for a special someone. Listen to it now below.
Of the song, he explained, ”This song is a conversation. It’s a long proclamation of the love I hold for my girlfriend.”
Like many of his Gen Z peers, Rocco grew up on the internet. Inspired by internet personalities Ryan Higa and Kevjumba, Rocco began as a content creator looking to connect to a more like-minded community outside the suburbs of Jersey which he called home. A natural entertainer, he would eventually dive into music with friends in middle school, posting tracks they made in his basement to SoundCloud.
While in High School, Rocco found himself on an app called Musical.ly, which would later become TikTok, where he started posting short-form Asian comedy content before he began to share his music. The COVID-19 pandemic, which caught the tail end of his academic career, allowed Rocco to develop his musical identity and find a global community online.
Based in Los Angeles, the emerging star has released a handful of singles, including the 2022 breakthrough single “spin you round” which has garnered over 7M to date.
There is much more to come from Rocco, who captures the teenage adolescent experience through his melodic brand of bedroom pop.