Rosemarie: How to balance Good and Bad in Life? | Sinnergy
Rosemarie has a racing mind. The Los Angeles-based, Puerto Rican-Dominican R&B artist let it all out in her anticipated debut EP “Sinnergy” (released August 14th).
The 9-track opus starts with some confessions she had to get off her chest. The 30 seconds soothing piano ballad stops to lead you into a tempo R&B. Welcome inside Rosemarie’s mind. The verses of “Confessions” are spoken thoughts about her family members and what they had to go through. They pile up on top of each other to surround her.
A fine line
The chorus seems to give her a few seconds to breathe, but the pain is still here: “Now I look to the sky Think of all of my angels flying high I’m still here don’t know why Gotta make it cause I’m still alive”. Even though her cuts are deep, she can’t afford to give up. She fought too hard so far, and she still has a purpose: “Told her to hold on a little while longer cause our dreams are getting closer We can see some real progression”.
At this point, Rosemarie appears just like a tightrope walker. Her emotions might try to make her fall down, but she keeps on moving on with her head held high. She draws her strength from those the ones she lost. Keeping her balance isn’t easy, and that’s precisely the EP’s theme.
“Personally, I have always struggled with balance, as do many others, and my life and work has mirrored that. The good, bad, light, dark. White lies, hidden truths. It’s a line we all straddle at one point or another”, says Rosemarie.
Even if Rosemarie is only 27 years old, she jokingly says she’s an older lady. She considers she already lived several lives. She grew up with the feeling of having three homes: one in New York, another one in California, and then Florida. She used to move constantly between these different states. She also lived with her father in Porto Rico for some time. Makes it hard to be the ‘new girl’ anywhere you go.
Label your emotions
However, music has always been a part of her life. She considers it the constant that helped her evolve.
Rosemarie has never known a typical family structure. Her mom passed away when she was younger, and her stepmom and her dad also separated. The events and the moving around forced her to grow up quicker than other kids. She grew up in a cultural and musical melting pot, making her creative and curious. Music has emerged as a heart-warming landmark she was able to cling to.
It helped her feel better by listening to what she needed to hear at the time. That’s why she hopes to do for others too.
“I want my music to be relatable. I want it to be able to connect with my listeners on a different level. A lot of the times I think it’s hard to articulate certain feelings about particular situations, so when you find a song that does that for you, I think it’s truly something magical.”
To connect with someone, you have to be honest with yourself first. Thanks to “Sinnergy”, Rosemarie finally can put words on her feelings: “I know I’m extreme I feel everything Or I don’t feel nothing at all I’m just numb Then there are times I feel like I’m no longer capable of love No longer capable of trust No longer capable of us” (“Crossed”).
Being aware of this in-between is a first step to get better and move forward. Rosemarie’s story has been written on her skin since she was 14. Tattoos have been helpful, but she’s ready to share her thoughts with the world now.
Stop believing everything is black or white
“Sinnergy” reminds you that your life can’t be perfect all the time. You can’t be perfect yourself. Perfection doesn’t exist.
Rosemarie’s debut EP is like a heartwarming statement: “Hey, we’ve been through some shit and it’ll always be a part of us, but we’re gonna get it together, okay?”. We’re not always responsible for the imbalance in our lives, but that doesn’t mean it’s a fatality. We’re responsible for what we decide to do out of it.
Compromising is also a good way to sort out things. In “Henny Talk”, Rosemarie knows a person hurt her, but she’s willing to give another try to this relationship: “I know I should know better than to think it’s working ‘Cause what we share just don’t compare to how you hurt me”. “Henny Talk” might be about the danger of a co-dependency relationship. It can also be interpreted as a way to try and accept the other person with its good and its bad sides. Just like we try to accept ours.
“You lose, I lose” she sings in “Catch 22”. A relationship isn’t always about sunshine and butterflies, but you can work together to become a better person for yourself and for the ones you love. This duality is at the heart of this opus.
“A quote by Nelson Mandela resonated with me deeply, “I am not a saint unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” That, in a nutshell, is what I thought prefaced this particular body of work perfectly.”, explains Rosemarie.
Find a reason to keep going
She keeps on trying her best too: “I been practicing my patience” (“Saints & Sinner”).
“Henny Talk” got that suave and seductive 90’s R&B vibe. It’s not about a new story in the making; it’s a reunion. The musical atmosphere and the lyrics create a beautiful contrast; we can also hear it on the rest of the EP. The piano brings some waves of melancholia to this EP, but they eventually go away when R&B, soul, and rap are used to soften or clearly express her emotions.
Rosemarie accepted her good and her bad sides as part of herself. It led her to where she is today. Her family and especially her daughter are her roots and her driving force. “Love is my relation”, as she recalls in “Saints & Sinner”.
“Sinnergy” is definitely one of these opuses you can listen to remember you’re human, and trying your best is good enough already.
