Check out the latest single from singer-songwriter Madeline Rosene. ‘Words’ features, warm guitar and sonic layers that add mesmerising, darker depths and textures. Most striking of all, Rosene’s sweetly melodic vocal is totally captivating, drawing us into the heartfelt message to the one she loves. “I can tell you but you you got to believe it,” she sings, beautifully expressing the idea that words are not enough. The accompanying video is beautifully-shot and artfully directed by Ben Shani, taking full advantage of the lakeside location with sweeping views of it and scenes of Rosene immersing herself in the dark waters. As the song steadily and subtly builds, swelling towards an emotional climax, we see her notes and lyrics swept into the lake, reflecting the futility of those words.
Rosene says of the song: “‘Words’ is a song about being in a relationship with a depressive and the struggle to make them believe that they are lovable and that they are loved. It’s hard to believe those things when you don’t even like yourself. I wrote the song in Lake Como, Italy and we filmed the music video on a lake in my hometown in Ohio. I think the music video speaks to trying to save something that maybe can’t really be saved but that love is beautiful whether it lasts or not. The title of the song comes from the lyric in the first verse: ‘…these are not just words.’ To me, this addresses how sometimes words don’t feel like enough when you’re trying to get your love through to someone, especially someone who is numb. Words can feel pointless and ineffective. As a lover of words, this is challenging for me. At the risk of sounding awful, words are my primary ‘love language,’ so when words fail to demonstrate my love, I feel desperate. While this is a true love song, it is also a plea and a song of desperation – to make someone feel, to try to shake them awake, an almost annoying imploration to reciprocate.” It’s a challenging subject, handled with great skill and sensitivity in an emotionally literate song.
The song is taken from Rosene’s brand new album ‘Everyday Existential Crisis’. The singles released in the run up to the record’s release have amassed an impressive 600,000 streams across all platforms. It’s an engaging follow-up to her well-received debut, ‘Raised on Porn’, which garnered plenty of radio airplay in the US. Known for her smart lyrics and catchy melodies, Rosene has also developed a live following, having performed in well-known venues like Hotel Cafe, Los Globos, The Echo, and famous The Viper Room in LA. Absorbing stuff.
