The artist’s debut album is a thought-provoking exploration of modern dating and courtship. In this track-by-track analysis, he invites us to take a glimpse into his creative process.
Photography by Patrick Kenawy
Roger William Saro, a.k.a. ROSA, is not just a self-taught singer, songwriter, rapper, and composer — he’s a storyteller navigating Amsterdam’s cultural scene. But now, he’s ready to take his artistry beyond the borders of the Dutch capital. With his newest musical endeavour, his debut album, FEMALE, he’s defying genre norms, blending alternative R&B with hip-hop and mainstream pop aesthetics, while challenging stereotypes of masculinity and addressing mental health issues and struggles. The album is a mosaic of relief, regret, longing, and resentment, offering an honest and transparent glimpse into his emotional world.
The most recent track to be released from FEMALE, the single “She Belongs to the Show (Part 2)”, celebrates the modern-day woman, serving as a subtle cautionary tale for those still viewing a significant other or a love interest as something that can be owned. The track is accompanied by a music video, directed by Dutch filmmaker Liza Koifman, where we see ROSA mastering his artistry in a cinematic experience.
Watch the music video for “She Belongs to the Show (Part 2)”…
Listen to the album…
Here, ROSA takes us backstage on his artistry with a personal track-by-track review of what working on this album meant to him. Keep scrolling…
“Indie Flick”
From waking up to lighter flicking, to coffee pouring, and inhaling the cigarette, I set the tone of you seeing this indie movie about a lost guy in his mid-to-late twenties, chock-full of potential but on a slow path of self-destruction and teetering the line between those two worlds. He’s full of bravado and confidence but doesn’t know how to channel it yet, so he often comes across as crass and braggadocios. The vocals are warbled; the sample says, “Good morning,” as if it’s speaking to him, and he says yes to drugs when offered. There’s still some sort of moral compass in him; you hear it in his thinking out loud throughout the song. But it can’t seem to breakthrough yet, and that’s how we end up with this song. It starts the journey of ‘will he or won’t he?’
“Picky”
“Picky” was always designed to be a very likable song, even though I poke the bear a bit with the lyrics. It’s almost a social experiment for me to see what I can get away with in my songwriting because I have a good ear for rhythm and melody. I hide certain witty stuff in there and play with a certain relatability factor so that it doesn’t always have to cater to my own personal views. Who can’t relate to being picky? On top of that, I like being tongue-in-cheek in my writing. It keeps it fun.
“SBTTS Pt. 2”
The video for this song is a giant leap toward my goals and a vision I have for my career. I already took a big step with the “BLOW” visual, but that was a personal song that I needed to get off my chest. With this song, I wrote the melodies so infectious that a strong visual would only enhance it. The fact that it was a completely independent production hopefully adds to my self-made story.
“Eye Candy”
“Eye Candy” is another one where I stack different and hidden meanings on top of each other only to reveal something else. At first listen, it might seem like I’m judging the girl I’m talking about, but in the third verse, I start second-guessing myself. Even the line “Just gotta be patient; eventually, we’ll outgrow the pavement” in the chorus is a subtle hint and a note to self that I might be prematurely forming an opinion about her based on limited information. If she has all the room in the world to grow, who am I to say anything?
“One That Got Away”
This one is about a past relationship that was quite tumultuous. We had a fiery, push and pull, back & forth, I hate you/I love you type of chemistry. She introduced me to David Lynch; she took me to see a Martin Margiela exposition in Antwerp and opened my mind to different forms of artistic expression. She always could see through me and knew that I needed and wanted authenticity in my life. I can actually say now in hindsight I was deeply in love with her. I wrote this being quite angry at her during one of our many fights and boldly claim to be the one that got away for her. Ironically enough, she has moved on and I now realize that maybe she’s the one that got away for me.
“Perfect”
This is my favorite song. I absolutely love this song. This is about the euphoria of love, about meeting someone, getting to know someone, and actually feeling butterflies getting dressed, trying to impress her. It’s really about love in its infancy stages. If you’ve ever been in love, you know that that’s a truly indescribable feeling. This beat is also incredible. The beat switch at the end, the Little Richard “Tutti-Frutti” homage. Put a bow on it.
“Drunk Girls”
This song evokes a lot of emotions in me. First of all, it’s my first song released independently, my first million streams, my first music video, my first time making money off of my art. I kind of see it as my micro-version of a “hit” song. Including it on FEMALE closes the chapter of this journey I’ve been on. It’s one of those tracks that strikes a chord and is just evergreen. It resonates and reflects something universally relatable. That, in itself, is something I’m extremely proud of.
“Women”
“Women” is about me actually wanting love and kind of lashing out because based on my own metrics, I’m not supposed to be single! Lol. I’m baffled at how non-existent my love life is, even based on my proximity to certain women, lifestyle, similar interests, quality of life. I should at least be dating. I do realize that where I’m at in my life right now, I’m supposed to be alone, but it’s not that easy to take that in, in real time. Also, I do claim to be picky. Lyrically it’s very in-your-face but truthful and witty as well. The nuances in the writing save it from being an obnoxious record. The vocal sample in the beginning repeatedly says “wait for it,” I put that in there as a reminder to self that it will come. I just have to wait.
“Sex or Love”
“Sex or Love” is such a weird song. It’s soulful but raw and it has this electronic feel to it. I had no idea what I was thinking creating this song. I was just free-flowing and hypnotized by the production.
“Phone”
“Phone” is a melodically strong record but it has like an ‘underdog’ feel to it for me. It doesn’t ‘pop’ like “Drunk Girls” but it’s like its distant cousin. This was written after a long drought of not writing. For a moment I was wondering if I could still write one of those choruses. Then once I had “Why you always on your phone” with the emphasis on the higher note on “phone,” I knew then and there that I had nothing to worry about. This visual is also a clear starting point where you can see my ambition for grandiosity starting to take form.
“BLOW”
“BLOW” is my little magnum opus. This visual was also a huge turning point for me creatively. I also deliberately released this as a ‘single’ even though it’s more of an album cut. It’s a very personal song about a cocaine addiction I used to have. I wrote the lyrics very in-your-face and crystal clear as not to fool anyone; this is no wannabe tortured artist stuff. I had a real issue. That’s why the visual is so metaphorical because the lyrics were so literal. The third verse is my favorite: “But I guess if you’re a lonely child, all you wanna do is numb the crowd,” and “Is this the path of a misfit?” I’m amazed I recorded that let alone put it out.
“Paranoid”
This is me at my lowest. The euphoria of love has worn down; I’m second-guessing my every move and I’m stuck in a loop. I recently played this live for the first time and it received a visceral response. The guitar solo is one of my favorite parts of this song. I don’t enjoy rehearsing or listening to ‘Paranoid.’ Even though I like the song, reliving those intense emotions constantly is quite challenging for me.
“No More Red Wine for Her.”
For me personally, this song is the best writing I’ve ever done across all genres. It’s just a dazzling display of what I can do with words. With double entendres, with hidden meanings, layered, multiple syllables, and cadences. It unfolds a narrative where a man encounters a captivating yet demanding woman, delves into his introspective moments of solitude, and explores the reflection of his own behavior in hers. The story remains open-ended, inviting you to interpret its layers and decide the tale it weaves.
