Royalty & Rosaleen

Many moons ago Rosaleen came into my life via a writing gig elsewhere. From there a conversation about a crush was had, and today we’re back to where we started – the music. It’s about a woman named Esther, and Rosaleen breaking down not only this girl power anthem, but also what she’s been up to, her faith, and more in this back-and-forth exchange. 

Kendra: The last time we sat down and spoke was about your Emo Crush over on Crushgasm, and you were also promoting “Shadow.” That was three years ago and since then you’ve stayed busy! Other than the handful of singles that followed our last conversation, what have you been up to? 

Rosaleen: I changed states twice. I felt like it was time to test different kind of waters. First I moved to Los Angeles for six months, to complete some music credits I was missing, then I relocated to Phoenix. I definitely like the peace and quiet in Arizona compared to how loud Florida was.  

I was also dealing with a pretty slippery defamation campaign against me and the lies told about me affected a lot of what I wanted to accomplish. I grew very frustrated, and it showed me how far some people are willing to go just out of sheer jealousy and envy. I support everyone no matter what, so to see even some women go that far to tear another woman down for male validation was pretty disheartening, especially since some of the artists who got involved were women I admired and respected at one point in my life. I think it’s ridiculous and disrespectful to ever go as far as ruin the reputation of someone you don’t even know for the approval of someone who doesn’t even like you; self-love is important. 

Someone I really loved, a very well-respected producer and musician I admired for years, also turned his back on me to help those who were destroying me and I really thought I could trust him. That absolutely crushed me but also made me understand that the love you give others isn’t always reciprocated back to you. Nonetheless I don’t regret standing up for him when he needed my help, because I want to be the love people probably don’t see in their own lives. 

Kendra: Like I was just listening to “Like You Promised” and a couple of others and it’s interesting that you’re an artist that is closely connected to their faith, and doesn’t hide it. We can clearly hear it in this one but you also don’t place your faith in every track. Was it a conscious decision to balance that out, or is it just how things happened to fall into place when writing and recording? 

Rosaleen: “Like You Promised” was written by Amber Nicole Brooks, and famously covered by Christine D’Clario in Spanish. I feel like my faith in Jesus is a part of me and represents the optimism and peace in the middle of the chaos. My faith is my vitamin. Especially during this difficult time in my life. 

Being a Christian to me doesn’t mean life will automatically stop being difficult, but that Jesus’ unconditional love and protection will always be there. I know some artists hesitate when it comes to talking about their faith or being bold about a religious belief, but I  don’t consider myself a “Christian music artist” I just consider myself a believer in Jesus that makes music. 

I believe a true follower of Christ reflects Christ’s teachings in their lifestyle. That means, maybe I don’t post a Bible verse every single day but I hope my music and personality reflect the fruits of the spirit which are “Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness and Self-Control.” As long as my music reflects that I feel like I am living the way Christ would want. 

Kendra: As for “Crystal,” you laid it all out on the line with this one. It’s got a great pop song chorus and I like the concept of the track; telling the person you’re into the facts. Was this based on a real-life interaction, or is this your reminder for when you’re out on the dating apps? 

Rosaleen: I actually don’t have any dating apps or any online talking stages at all! This was based on an interaction I had as a teenager but also is fictional in the sense that it’s based on what I think a romance manga or anime sounds like. 

I wanted it to sound extremely shoujo-esque, especially since I am a big fan of J-R&B but also Korean music (I’d say mostly adult contemporary K-music or even Korean R&B as well) has certain super dreamy and nostalgic elements as well. I composed it in the key of D major/B minor. I put in a lot of string synths and I recorded a lot of dreamy vocal layers. 

I consider myself a very transparent person and at times a bit too vulnerable for my own good. A bit of a hopeless romantic if you will. But I want to be honest in my music and let it reflect who I really am, and how I view love, life, and God as a whole. 

Kendra: Let’s talk about your latest girl power anthem! You noted that it was based on Esther, a legit queen from history. There’ve been a lot of powerful women in history, what did you see in Esther that made you think of connecting her to a song about being true to oneself? 

Rosaleen: Esther came from a marginalized group of people that were enslaved by the Egyptians; the Israelites. (Not to be confused with the citizens of the state of Israel. It’s not the same thing. The Israelites were multicultural/multinational people. If anything the people currently referred to as Israelis and Palestinians are genetically what Judean Israelis were. Free Palestine.) She was an Assyrian (Modern-day Syria) woman who believed in the Hebrew God in what was ancient Persia/modern-day Iran. During those days, it was not permitted for women to really do much or be in positions of power, because in ancient monarchy and secular Middle Eastern tradition; women were seen as objects, trophies, and as currency to advance the economic agenda of a king or empire. 

Those people in power disliked Judaism because the Torah, or what is the Old Testament in the Bible, explicitly stated that women were divine individuals whose ultimate purpose was not to serve or please men,  or even get married if they didn’t want to; but to serve God, and preach the gospel, and accomplish their purpose in life that Yahweh/God gave them. 

This COMPLETELY contradicted Persian and Egyptian social hierarchy that insisted women needed to be over-sexualized and exchanged as either one of many wives or one of many promiscuous concubines. The early kings and governors didn’t see women as anything more than pieces of meat who could only be empowered if they allowed themselves to become sex slaves and paid for those services.  Those were cultures that promoted sex slavery and hated Early Judaism because it was seen as a woman’s ticket to become something more than just a pretty trophy to be displayed and used, and the Hebrew God dared to see women as precious, valuable, and extremely loved with OR without a man in their lives. 

Esther was a woman who spoke up for what was right, and even though she was part of an enslaved group of people, and could have been killed for defending her faith, she was never afraid to speak the truth. Esther was chosen by God to lead the Kingdom of Persia into freedom and to spread the truth of God’s love and justice, the fact that He sees everyone as equal regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic/social status. 

She was severely underestimated, and nobody thought that someone like her could ever become queen, because she was from the “wrong” social class, “wrong” race, and “wrong belief system.” According to the people in power. 

Haman was what a modern-day prime minister would have been. He was corrupt. He had plotted to kill the Jews after passing laws severely mistreating them. He was extremely cunning and manipulative and wanted to create a genocide for all the Israelites not just in Persia but everywhere during that time period. He was angered that one of the candidates for the queen had been not only Assyrian but Jewish of all things! Mordecai, Esther’s legal representative (and her Rabbi/Pastor. He was both things)  and Esther herself had absolutely stopped Haman from attempting to accomplish that genocide at all.  Mordecai was like if a Congress person was also a pastor. If I can make that comparison 

However, King Xerxes I  fell in love with her and chose her to be queen. The reason why this is historical, and the reason why I chose her, is because she wasn’t just some trophy to him or for the kingdom! He treated her like a human being, he believed in her, and in her intellect and ability to lead. So she was the first queen of Persia to also have been a prime minister, so basically the first female president of Persia!  This was amazing for women’s rights during that time!

Kendra: The song also centers around social media and trends, and how blinding those can be when it comes to pursuing our authentic selves. I just watched a documentary about influencers and it’s such a weird, wild concept that I could spend hours talking about. However, as an artist, do you see value in social media, or do you view it as an unnecessary part of the job? 

Rosaleen: The influence of social media and the impact it has on so many people’s mental health but also on society and civil rights. I don’t think it’s an unnecessary part of the job at all, but I do think that it’s used much too maliciously and has destroyed and ended the lives of many wonderful and productive people, and has silenced many people who deserve a platform, and have had it unrightfully taken away from them. 

Rosaleen
Instagram: instagram.com/rosaleen.q
Facebook: facebook.com/rosaleen.quiles.9
Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/artist/rosaleen/1156986035