An Interview With Pop-R&B Singer NATALIE LA ROSE On Her Hit Breakout Song, “Somebody”, Working With Flo Rida And More!

Natalie La Rose released her debut single in January 2015. Entitled “Somebody” and featured Jeremih, the track immediately took off! It got to No. 2 on the Official UK Singles Chart, No. 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 12 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart.

Natalie has since been on the Reflection Tour with Fifth Harmony and released another single with Fetty Wap called “Around The World.”

What’s Natalie been up to lately? Oh just working on a song with Tiesto called ‘The Right Song”!

Learn more about this talented singer in the following All Access interview:

The last few months of 2015 were crazy for you! Have you had a chance to really sit back and take it all in?

2015 has definitely been a crazy year full of bucket list accomplishments and new experiences! I can’t believe how fast this year went by. I think it wasn’t until I went back home to Amsterdam for the holidays in December that I had some rest and could reflect on what an amazing year I’ve had 

What was it like making that big move to LA from your home in Amsterdam? 

I’ve always been someone who’s looking for new challenges and who likes to go on adventures . LA had been on my to do list for a long time to build my music career. So when I graduated ‘college’ (Lucia Marthas arts academy) and saved some money I decided it was time to make that move!

The first few months I had a bit of a culture shock . I went from living at home with my parents into living alone and taking care of myself in a society with a lot of competitive people. 

Was your family always supportive of your dreams?

My family has always been very supportive of what I wanted to do because it had been a childhood dream. I think they saw the drive and determination in me, so they probably knew there was no way in trying to change my focus.

They’ve probably been worried or concerned about my well-being at times I went through struggles, but they knew this was something I had to do.

How often do you get to go back and see your family and friends there?

Since my music has been out I’ve surprisingly been able to see them more than before! There’s been a couple of times last year I had to fly to Amsterdam for performances and interviews and got to see them, even if it was for one day!

You wrote your hit single, “Somebody” with Flo Rida. What was that process like with him? How did you two decide to use the Whitney Houston sample?

Flo Rida is the absolute hit maker. He has an amazing ear and knows how to make catchy songs . So I was very happy to have him in the writing process. The idea of the ‘Whitney Houston’ tag actually came from Flo. He knows I’m a fan of 80’s music. We were all coming up with different ideas and nothing really stuck until he started singing  the Whitney melody. I immediately jumped up and said: “that’s what we need!”

Why do you think you and Flo Rida work so well together?

I think it’s because we both have the same drive and work ethic. We both love working hard, being productive and seeing results!

It’s funny, the people in our team often call me the female Flo , because I remind them of him when he just started his career .

Can you explain how you went from being in a duo called Amsterdam to being a solo artist today? Are there ever moments when you miss that duo experience?

In life you go through different chapters. And the duo was a huge chapter in my life and kind of divined who I am today. In order to grow, we both had to move into a different chapter. I definitely miss being a part of the duo, we had amazing writing chemistry , so hopefully we can get together soon again and write some hits!

How’s your summer tour been going opening for Fifth Harmony with Bea Miller and Debby Ryan? Any favorite shows so far? 

The summer tour was such an amazing experience. It was my first time having a solo show on a tour and the first time having my own tour bus!

The girls of Fifth Harmony are so super talented and charismatic . Every now and then, one of the girls would spontaneously jump on stage with me to do the ‘rock with somebody’ and the crowd would go wild.

I must say it was such an honor to perform in the Beacon Theater in New York. The theater has so much history and some of my favorite artists have performed there before me.

Max Martin is one of the biggest names in pop music so what was it like working with him on your recent single “Around TheWorld”? And what was it like working with Fetty Wap on it too?

Max Martin is a musical genius . I was so excited when I heard he wanted to do a song with me. I’ve been able to see him work up close  and experienced him making what started as just an idea into a smash! It’s very impressive.

I was very happy to have Fetty Wap on the song, he’s super talented and he definitely put a unique twist to the sound of the song.

Who are some musicians that you love?

I’m an old school music lover. I love to listen to 80’s soul&pop and 90’s R&B. Some of my favorite artists growing up were Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Michael and Janet Jackson, Music Soulchild… etc.

Who would you love to write and/or perform with in the future?

I love to collaborate with artists that bring something new to the table and that have a fresh take on music.  I also think it would be cool to collaborate with artists from different genres.

When do you think you will be releasing a full-length album? What other songs are you excited to share with your fans?

I’ve been recording a lot the last year in between all the traveling and performing . Before putting out a full album I will first put out an EP with about 5 songs. I’m excited to share everything I’ve been working on so far!

How do you hope to be a good role model to your fans?

I hope I can inspire fans with my story and show them that it’s okay to dream big and go after your dreams, no matter where you’re from!