An Interview With 2018 Breakout Pop Singer-Songwriter, ROZZI!

At 19 years old Rozzi was discovered by Adam Levine, by 21 she was signed to a major label and opening up for one of the biggest bands, but something wasn’t right and it came to a halt. She wasn’t listening to her inner voice and ended up being dropped by the label.

It was that hard reality along with falling in love for the first time, that created her new music, all written by Rozzi. These deeply personal songs will be featured on her upcoming debut for her new label, Small Giant/Columbia Records.

On February 9th, she released her latest single, “Never Over You.” She has previously put out “Uphill Battle” which entered into Spotify’s Viral charts for every country in which it got New Music Friday. Teen Vogue has said that Rozzi “has tinges of Aretha and Amy (Winehouse). — There’s no denying her intangible IT Factor.”

Connect With Rozzi Here:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | YouTube

Learn more about Rozzi in the following All Access interview:

Thanks so much for your time! We know musicians are busy people so we appreciate you taking the time to answer a few questions about yourself! So where does this interview find you today?

Hi! I’m on my couch in Los Angeles. 

Overall, how do you think 2017 was for you and your career? What are you most excited about for this year? What is one big goal you have for 2018?

2017 was a complicated year for me. It was exciting in a lot of ways – I wrote the best songs I’ve ever written and made music I am so proud of. I also went through a break-up which maybe helped the songs but it was rough for me personally. The world scared me a lot in 2017 too, but it also inspired me…it was complicated. My goal for 2018 is to share my new music as far and wide as possible. And hopefully people love it so I can get back on tour please!!

Growing up, did you ever think that this would be the kind of life that you would have? Has music always been a big part of your life? Can you recall your first ever musical experience? 

I always knew I wanted a life in music. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t obsessed with it. My mom used to put on her Bjork or Shania Twain CD and I would lock myself in the dining room and dance around to it. It was in first grade that I decided to pursue a singing career. I sang a Jewel song in the school talent show and right then I knew it was what I was supposed to do. I swear it was like a calling, from that moment on, nothing could change my mind. 

I would love to know the whole story of being discovered by Adam Levine! Where were you at the time? How do you think you have ultimately grown as an artist since then?

I got an email from Adam when I was a sophomore in college and at a party. It was wild…he heard a song I wrote with a friend of his and decided to start a label in order to sign me. I toured the country opening for Maroon 5 (and if you ever saw some random ass girl singing the Christina part on ‘Moves Like Jagger’, that was me!) I learned so much from Adam, but there was always a part of me that knew there was more to me artistically than I could express while I was signed there. So, when Adam and I parted ways, it was devastating at first, but then it forced me to find myself and my sound. I lived my life in a way I never had before and now I know who I am because of it. I will always be grateful for that. 

What did it feel like when you finally released your own original music out into the world?

It’s always so exciting and so scary to release music into the world but I’ve never felt as proud to share something as I am with these new songs. I obviously hope people love them but I love them so much that it almost doesn’t matter…almost ha. My new songs are incredibly personal so sharing them is especially nerve-racking – I’m just like telling the world all my secrets – but that’s one of the reasons I’m so proud of them, they’re really honest. 

What was it like putting together your forthcoming debut album with Small Giant/Columbia Records? Did anything surprise you about the overall process? Were there any unexpected challenges?

I think I’ve felt every emotion making this album. I felt love, heartbreak, I had breakthroughs, disappointments – all of it. I mean I’m an artist in my twenties… I’m figuring things out and it’s all EMOTIONAL. You can hear that on the album. I think if anything surprised me it’s how honest and open I was able to be lyrically. I’m not a particularly open person in life but it turns out I’m a very open person when I’m writing – I gave away all the details in the songs. 

Let’s talk about your newly released single “Never Over You.” What was the inspiration for this track? How do you think it compares to anything else that you have put out in the past?

I wrote “Never Over You” when I was in a fight with my ex-boyfriend. I was thinking about all the issues in our relationship – all the things that were exhausting and frustrating me. What I kept coming back to was, despite being ‘over’ so many things, I wasn’t over him. I remember writing down “I over-think and you over-drink” and knowing it was a song I wanted to finish. It’s more emotional than any song I’ve released before. I was going through something more intense than anything I went through when I was writing my old stuff. 

Where do you find that you sing the most- in the shower, in the car or elsewhere?

These days it’s either in a recording booth or at a radio station 🙂

Where do you find that you have the most fun- on stage performing, making music videos or recording in the studio?

I depend on songwriting for my sanity but I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t sing live. I live for performing – there’s nothing like making that personal connection with a room full of strangers. I’m also totally obsessed with singing and it’s way more fun to sing for someone than to sing alone! 

Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? What musicians would you absolutely still love to work with in the future?

Amy Winehouse changed my life with her soulful approach to pop music. Lauryn Hill changed my life again when I got into her in college – no voice gets me like hers does.  I’ve been listening to a lot more country music than I used to and it’s influenced my writing especially lyrically. Right now I’m really into Lizzo, Leon, and Wrabel. And I am dying to collaborate with Chris Stapleton and Justin Vernon. 

What do you hope your fans take away from your music?

I hope people feel understood and less alone when they listen to my music. I hope my openness and vulnerability encourages them to be open, vulnerable and honest with their emotions. And I hope they feel empowered and inspired to keep going after whatever they’re dreaming about. I’ve been working towards the same goal since I was six and I’m not stopping. I hope they can hear that in my voice.