Isabel LaRosa is inviting us into her world. In her debut album Raven and her performances across North America for her Psychopomp Tour, she is showing us stories from her own bildungsroman through her genuine lyricism and impressive stages. Nothing is barred as she sings about romance – the exhilaration of first love to the devastation of heartbreak – to growing up and moving on.
We had the opportunity to ask her about TikTok, music videos, and Raven.
About Isabel
Hi, Isabel! We are happy to have you at the Hive! Can you introduce yourself to people who might be new to you and your music?
My name is Isabel LaRosa and I’m an alternative pop artist.
TikTok is a significant tool for the music industry right now and your songs, ‘HAUNTED’ and ‘i’m yours’ in particular, went viral on there. Is there a song you didn’t expect to get the reception it did? How do you feel seeing your music being so well-received?
It’s so wild to me to see that any of it has done well, and that’s always the hope, but I think ‘Eyes Don’t Lie’ really caught me really off guard because it happened in such a weird way. I posted it and it didn’t do well at all, so I took all my videos down of it and then one day I randomly saw a fan edit on my For You Page with it, and I was like, “What?!” and then it just started to blow up. It caught me very off guard.
Your music is perfect for soundtracking a YA (Young Adult) television series or movie! As you find time to relax, do you watch or read anything in the genre?
I do, I watch a lot of “Euphoria” and “Stranger Things.” “Ozark” is not really Young Adult, but it has Young Adult stories in there. But I do watch a lot of Young Adult stuff just because it’s what I enjoy, and that’s what I love to write about and direct when I do music videos, so I definitely watch a lot of it.
You seem to be on stage around the clock! How is performing live and connecting with fans? What is your favorite part about being an artist?
It’s just a crazy thing to be able to do and an honor that people care enough to show up to a concert of mine.
It’s honestly so special to meet the faces behind the screen and they’re all so sweet, I literally talk to them all the time. Again, it’s just such a special thing for me to even be able to do with my life, so I’m very lucky.
About Raven
Congratulations on finishing your debut album! If you could say something to the young Isabel who was writing music in her bedroom, what would you say?
This is gonna sound weird, but I feel like I wouldn’t tell her anything because my philosophy is that I [need] to not know to be motivated to do it. I think the possibility of it not happening is a very motivating thing. But if I were to say anything, I would say not to be so hard on yourself all the time, that would be the one thing I would say.
We love the album art for Raven. It’s simple but also so metaphorical! Could you explain your interpretation of it?
I had wanted to do a shoot with a raven for so long, and I think that the album cover is very vulnerable and it was vulnerable for me to shoot. I think the raven represents – throughout folklore and then also within the album – death and rebirth and change. Me being right next to it in the cover represents how close I am to that concept, and that’s what I wanted to show.
Is the order of songs in Raven purposeful? Is there a narrative listeners can follow, for example?
We paid attention to the track list a lot because we wanted it to be specific. I wanted it to tell the story of the high highs and how the beginning is when you meet somebody for the first time, and it’s perfect and amazing, and then as the album progresses, you see it kind of fall apart and that’s what I wanted to show with it.
‘Favorite’ is the first part of a music video series. How is the process different from a usual music video, and how did you know you wanted to do that for Raven (‘Favorite’, ‘Hope It Hurts’, and ‘Burning’ specifically)?
It was honestly tough to write because I changed my concepts so many times throughout the year between ‘Favorite’, ‘Hope It Hurts’, and ‘Burning’. I wanted it to connect and I think it was a different writing process for me because I had only written standalone videos or videos all in one round where I didn’t have to go back and rethink about it. So that was a fun challenge to see how I was gonna weave in the concept that I wanted to weave into the narrative, starting with ‘Favorite”. It was a challenge for me, but it was really fun.
The music video of ‘Favorite’ was inspired by “Euphoria” and “Stranger Things.” Was there a specific inspiration for ‘Hope It Hurts’ and ‘Burning?’
For ‘Hope It Hurts’ and ‘Burning’, it wasn’t as much of a show, I had more of a feeling that I wanted to capture. I was lucky enough to be able to shoot all of it on film and that was something that I wanted to go for. I wanted to keep it in that realm, but also move it to be a little bit moodier and more abstract, which I hadn’t done before. I think it’s a little bit more whimsical and a little more artistic looking, and that was my goal with it.
You’re preparing for several live events such as the Psychopomp Tour across North America and the Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary. Is there a song from Raven you’re excited to perform?
I’ve been loving performing ‘Burning’. It’s one that means a lot to me, so it’s been very fun to perform. ‘Famous’ is also just such a fun live song, so those are the two that I’m really very excited to play.
You’re in a new stage of your life – your twenties! If Raven was a capsule of your late teens, what do you hope your sophomore album will sound like and be about?
I’m already planning, and I can’t say exactly what it will sound like, I think it’ll just be different and it’ll come from different experiences and my mindset shifting on things. I honestly can’t predict what it will be like because it will be based around my real life and I can’t see the future, but I’m excited to see what it will be like.
And we are excited to see what is next for Isabel! Be sure to stream Raven and let us know what song from you have on rotation over on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ISABEL LAROSA:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
