Written by Kiara Mack
Released on January 17th, Alessi Rose’s second EP, for your validation, is her biggest test of pop-star potential yet, but with just six tracks, the 22-year-old singer-songwriter has managed to prove herself. Rose’s previous one-off singles, say ur mine and hate this part, and 2024 EP, rumination as ritual, evoked the musical influences of her fellow Gen-Z pop artists like Chappell Roan, Gracie Abrams, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sabrina Carpenter. With for your validation, Rose is stepping into her own lane and making a name for herself among the next generation of pop girls. She wants your validation, and she’s got the music to back it up.
oh my
for your validation opens with Rose’s biggest single, “oh my,” where the validation she seeks is that of a man who refuses to reciprocate her love and longing. “He saves me for last, ‘cause he knows that I’ll wait / I’d let him talk forever, while he’s smoking straights” is sung with a numbing sadness. Each line feels straight out of Bridget Jones’ infamous diary in both desperation and crude British humor. It’s a heartbreaking song that you’ll wish you could sing along to on first listen. Bold lyrics paired with such dreamy and airy production is a hard line to balance, but Rose does so with the confidence of a seasoned professional – a promising start to a great pop EP.
start all over
If Gracie Abrams’ 2024 rise is any indication, audiences yearn for the catharsis of diaristic, acoustic guitar-driven pop. Rose is more than ready to help fill that void. A strumming acoustic guitar accompanies her as she pleads for a crush to make the first move on “start all over.” She sings with the cadence of Meg insisting she won’t say she’s in love in “Hercules” while her own backing vocals play the role of the ad-libbing Muses. Seeking her crush’s validation, Rose asks, “If I insist there’s nothing there, would you protest or even care?” and during the bridge, repeatedly cries with increasing anxiety, “What if you’re the one?” While crushing lyrics paired with bright, upbeat production is a technique used sparingly by most pop artists, Rose dives head first into that kind of juxtaposition on nearly every for your validation track.
IKYK
The only track left to be released along with the EP, “IKYK” is a refined take on the spunky pop sound Rose dabbled in on her previous project. Punk-influenced pop is a sound primarily being pursued by the likes of Olivia Rodrigo in the mainstream, but Rose shows her potential to do the same, pairing her obsessive lyrics with gritty electric guitar riffs. Even with a temporary departure in sound to showcase her range, Rose never lets up on balancing the raw and the witty with a catchy chorus that puts it bluntly: “I know you know / You’re pretty and everybody wants you / I know you know / I’m part of that crowd.” It’s fascinating when every song on a record is worthy of being a concert closer, but a solid case could be made for “IKYK.” There’s heaps of potential in this track alone, and depending on who you ask, Rose saved the best to release last.
imsochillandcool
“imsochillandcool” is perhaps the best display on the EP of what it is that makes Rose stand out as an up-and-coming artist. She uses her voice not only as an instrument, but treats it as its own performer in the stories she’s telling. The song only works because the wide range of emotions she’s singing about is evident in her constantly shifting tone. You can hear her bitterness, playfulness, and indifference, but you can also picture her acting out each carefully crafted emotion in front of the microphone, a musical trait that draws me to cheeky pop like this. “If you ignore these lines,” Rose is over her ex, but if you pay attention to them, they play out like Rose is reading aloud an unsent block of text begging him to come back. Its stream-of-consciousness lyricism means it might not be an instant earworm, but after a few listens, you’ll find yourself singing “But I know that you’re out getting drunk at her house and you’re naming your kids / While I’m biding my time and denying the signs, I swear that I’m so over it” and acting the song out in front of your own poor mirror soon enough.
pretty world
Rose’s close relationship with her fans gives her voice and writing in “pretty world” the earnestness required to pull off a love song like this. The sincerity of the song is effective precisely because it’s coming from a young artist on the verge of fame who feels like she’s finally found her place in this world. She’s a pop artist, university student, and 20-something all at once, a position that inevitably comes with great stress and insecurity. Chasing a dream is filled with ups and downs and certainly requires plenty of hard work, but ultimately, none of that matters without a good support system. “When I’m kicking myself, making it worse / You’re here to tell me, there’s more I deserve” is such a heartfelt portrayal of friendship and hits all the harder coming right after a self-deprecating song like “imsochillandcool.” Sparkling synth production is the perfect cherry on top, and it’s easy to imagine this track playing during the credits of a coming-of-age film.
don’t ask questions
Rose ends the EP accepting her somber situation with a guitar in hand once again. The fragility of her voice on this track is very reminiscent of Gracie Abrams’, but the songwriting is uniquely Rose. She confesses, “I found your ex, we’re not alike,” but refuses to ask the questions that might tell her what she doesn’t want to know. Singer-songwriters tend to end their projects on a more hopeful note to prove to themselves and their listeners that they’ve moved on from the relationships and emotions that they’ve painted their canvas with. Rose’s choice to end for your validation on a note of defeat comes with the refreshing vulnerability of someone who isn’t scared to admit that they don’t have it all figured out quite yet.
The release of each track on for your validation has brought more and more listeners to Rose’s music, and her raunchy lyrics and pure pop production have made it a no-brainer to stick around and see what else she has up her sleeve. Rose has been on my radar for a while, but diving into her discography these past few weeks has truly made me feel like I’ve discovered something special – confessional, diaristic pop about love and girlhood fueled by the fire of a passionate young artist eager to prove herself. Alessi Rose might be living a Hannah Montana-esque double-life right now, but if for your validation is any indication, she’ll be a full-blown pop-star soon enough.
Listen to for your validation here:
