Rosie Alena finds beauty in letting go on new single ‘Babies’
© Beth Knight
On Wednesday, we were blessed with the beautiful new single ‘Babies’, from London-based artist Rosie Alena. The single arrives as the third instalment of her upcoming EP, Everyman, out on March 19th via South London label Plum Cuts. Produced by her band and Oli Barton-Wood (Luvcat, Ezra Collective, Nilüfer Yanya), the track is an intimate and heartfelt reflection on loss and change.
Emotional in its lyrics and sound, ‘Babies’ explores the feeling of grieving a future that will never happen. The song sits quietly in that moment of realisation—when someone you once imagined in your life is no longer there. It feels like a long goodbye, with delicate strings carrying you through the track. Rosie’s vocals feel effortless, each word delivered with an honesty that’s so intimate. Her voice almost floats through every song she sings on, holding all the emotion she seeks to convey. ‘Babies’ highlights not just Rosie’s versatility as a songwriter, but her ability to surrender completely to her music. It’s a beautiful example of the wonders that come from trusting your instincts.
“The idea for ‘Babies’ came when I was detangling myself from a long-term romantic relationship. It’s a love song that carries a heavy weight - about someone I knew I couldn’t be with anymore but didn’t want anyone else to have either. Not only was I letting go of the one I loved, but I was having to painfully unravel from what once was our shared imagined future.”
As Rosie goes through one of the biggest years of her life, Everyman shows a new level of honesty in her songwriting. Across the EP, she reflects on the loss of routines, relationships, and people who once meant everything to her. We had the opportunity to ask Rosie a couple of questions about the upcoming EP, and its lead single, Everyman:
Amelia:
Everyman has such an emotional concept behind it. How did you approach translating that into music—did it come naturally, or did it take some experimenting?
Rosie:
‘Everyman’ seemed to form very instinctively. I allowed the lyrics in the chorus and outro to remain simple; honouring what had naturally come to me without trying to make things overcomplicated. Saying that though, sometimes it can be hard to convey such a heavy topic within such a short space of time so I was definitely experimenting with how to be concise and direct but still evoke a feeling.
Amelia:
Working with Oli Barton-Wood and your band must have been exciting! Did the song change or take on a new direction during the recording process, or did it stay close to your original vision from the start?
Rosie:
Yes very much so! They are all incredible people to work with and I trust them so much with my songs and their meaning. Working with them in putting together this whole EP was a massive part of my own personal processing of the reality behind the music. Originally, I wrote ‘Everyman’ on piano and it was quite balady although I visualised it being a bit choppier with a prominent bass line. They played a massive part in helping my ideas for the song come into fruition and arranging their individual parts. I love how considered everything is and how space has been created within the song. Shout out to Oli, Casper, Dan, Haydn & Stella!
Amelia:
Were there any specific instruments or sounds that were key to creating the mood of the track?
Rosie:
Ah it’s so hard to pinpoint specific instruments because I adore all of the parts and how they fit together! They’re all so essential in making the song what it is. BUT I do think that the bass, drums & other percussive parts play a key role in how the song has been translated visually. My sister, Edith Amelie, choreographed a lot of the dance routine featured in the music video to be in sync with the drums and bass. The music video wouldn’t be what it is without that synchronisation.
Amelia:
How do you feel you’ve grown as a songwriter since your debut?
Rosie:
I think previously, I thought I had to write long elaborate songs in order to be considered ‘good’. I also used to write quite cryptically perhaps because I didn’t want to give too much of myself away. Now I would say I definitely feel braver to express myself more directly and have really enjoyed experimenting with writing in a poppier shorter format.
Amelia:
What do you hope listeners take away from Everyman as an EP?
Rosie:
I hope listeners feel like they’ve been allowed to look inside a little time capsule. It’s a relatively short EP and feels like a snapshot of a very specific time in my life. I hope those who have been heartbroken and grieved in any form will be able to relate to the songs and have a sense of catharsis.
