Rozes embraces Web3 to release new music: "NFTs empower artists"
Rozes embraces Web3 to release new music: "NFTs empower artists"
The singer/songwriter unveils new music to celebrate her wedding day this month.
Rozes has a lot to celebrate this summer. First and foremost, best wishes are in order for the singer and her fiancée Brendan who got married earlier this month. Rozes found the perfect way to let fans join this special moment by writing and releasing the song “Heart On Fire” for her wedding day that she made available on streaming platforms and as a one-of-one music collectible.
“Heart On Fire” fits the happy occasion perfectly. It’s a hearty piano-driven ballad in which Rozes professes her love to her fiancée. “Only in dreams it exists/Something as real as this/I swear I never knew it could be true/And then there was you,” she sings in the song's second verse. It’s a gorgeous track that showcases Rozes’ brilliant way with words and knack for concocting timeless melodies. Rozes co-wrote “Heart On Fire” with Alex Sacco and Patrick Mencel.
I first ran across Rozes when she collaborated with The Chainsmokers on “Roses” back in 2014. The teaming of Rozes, Alex, and Drew marks a pivotal moment in The Chainsmokers’ evolution. “Roses” is the song that helped turn The Chainsmokers from rambunctious “Selfie” party-starters into sophisticated hitmakers.
In fact, “Roses” was part of a slew of tracks that The Chainsmokers released early in their career that combined their signature dance-pop productions with indie tunes and folky vocals. Examples are “Let You Go” (featuring Great Good Fine Ok), “New York City” (featuring Delacey), “Inside Out” (featuring Charlee), and “Kanye” (featuring SirenXX).
“Roses” is the standout from that era that propelled both Rozes and The Chainsmokers to a new level of success and notoriety. Rozes has explained in previous interviews that the song was written pretty fast during a spontaneous writing session in New York after connecting with Drew and Alex on social media. (Fun fact: “Roses” is a love song about the man Rozes married earlier this month.)
“Roses” ended up becoming a mainstay on the Billboard charts in 2015 and has gone triple platinum since its release.
The song’s success led to more collaboration between Rozes and other EDM acts, including Cash Cash (“Matches”) and Galantis (“Girls On Boys”). A career highlight came in 2019 when Rozes’ song “Halfway There” became the official anthem of the Women’s March.
More recently, Rozes has embraced new ways to connect with fans and released several music NFTs. She minted a gorgeous acoustic version of “Roses” that she titled “Never Let Me Go (Roses).” This stripped-down version feels like the original demo of the song. It’s a perfect music collectible for fans to own as it will likely stir much nostalgia for people.
More pop greatness followed, including Web3 releases of “Treat You Right” and “Homebody” (her genesis NFT release) that she made available via Mint Songs.
Rozes has enthusiastically adopted Web3 as a new space to engage with superfans and create momentum for her art. I spoke with Rozes briefly ahead of her wedding day via email about her entry into the world of music collectibles.
Arjan: Making songs available as NFTs is a great way to build community and provide something really unique to superfans. What was your experience doing your drops via Mint Songs? Was it an easy process that you enjoyed?
Rozes: Doing my drops with Mint Songs has been a breeze. They’ve helped me from the preparation and promo of the release to collecting and receiving the Ethereum that it sold for. They’ve helped me learn so much along the way.
How was the response from fans when you started releasing these digital collectibles?
There was certainly a bit of confusion when I released my first NFT. I received a lot of questions about the culture behind Web3 and also a lot of questions about the environmental impact NFTs may cause. I must note that Mint Songs has an annual goal to be carbon neutral.
How do you think music NFTs will support artists, including yourself? Has it made a difference for you? Do you think it will spur creativity?
I’m finding that many of my NFT’s sell to collectors outside my day-to-day fans. I think it’s been an awesome discovery tool for my art, and I’ve loved expanding my reach. NFTs empower artists. I get to set the value instead of relying on streaming services to tell me what my art is worth. It has helped me add more out-of-the-box thinking to my creations.
Are there other artists and advocates in the NTF the space you look up to?
I am still discovering and learning the space as much as anyone else. I have loved joining the Mint Songs talk spaces on Twitter and discovering new artists and creators that way. I think one of the biggest NFTers I admire is 3LAU, a fellow dance music creator.
What do you think holds artists back from jumping into the NFT space? What do you recommend to other artists who want to get into the space? What's a good way to start?
I would say that the biggest thing holding artists back is the lack of education and confusion about how to get started. I truly recommend following NFT accounts on social media and listening to talk spaces- humanizing the process helps make it a lot easier to understand. Knowledge is truly power when it comes to creating, releasing, and consuming NFTs.
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Steam Rozes “Heart On Fire”