On July 25, British singer-songwriter Alessi Rose released her third EP “Voyeur,” honing in on the quintessential experience of loving, leaving and letting go. At only 24 minutes, the alternative pop record showcases the best of Rose, weaving intimate lyricism with a hypnotic soundscape.
Rose is a relatively new face in the music scene, having just released her first single, “Say Ur Mine,” in 2023. Her 2024 song “oh my” went viral on TikTok and captured the allure of her brand: confessional lyrics that blend seamlessly with bold visuals and a pop-rock sound. While her past EPs reflected a singer-songwriter still finding her footing, “Voyeur” is an unwavering addition to her discography.
The EP opens with “Same Mouth,” which was also released as the record’s first single. The song’s rock elements are immediately apparent: listeners quickly sense a definite rage as Rose laments the back-and-forth nature of a relationship she knows isn’t going to end well. The song culminates in a passionate bridge that opens the emotional floodgates for the rest of the EP. Lyrics like “It’s kinda masochistic / I’ll hurt myself so you fix it / Say you’re not down / But you kiss me with the same mouth, same mouth” capture the charm of “Voyeur.” Rose manages to turn the painful and taboo aspects of intimacy into bedroom pop anthems that zero in on the heart of young adulthood.
“Take It or Leave It” is an instant classic, revealing the inner turmoil of diving headfirst into a romantic relationship. Rose leans into the obsessive nature of a crush, with the revealing lyrics, “Watching you breathe, wish I could do it for you / I know it’s weird, but I think you’re the one for me.” The headiness of her feelings is amplified by the crashing drums she sings against.
The EP masterfully oscillates between romance and heartbreak, which appear to be inextricable in Rose’s world. “Everything Anything” and “That Could Be Me” explore the emotions that continue to rattle even when a relationship ends. The former is a pop masterpiece with memorable hooks and soaring vocals from Rose and bitterness in her voice as she bemoans the emptiness left by a former partner, even after she has moved on.
“That Could Be Me” is the angry sequel to “Everything Anything.” Whereas the first song situates Rose in a position of loss, “That Could Be Me” follows the artist as she envisions herself to be her ex’s new girlfriend. The song opens with a seductive electric guitar riff and has a fearless rock sound. Her vocals are distorted throughout the track, capturing the chaotic clash of desire, disgust and envy. Her talent at blending these three emotions together is evident in how she brackets her confident imaginings with confessions of heartbreak: “You’re going out, and I just write songs about you / Without a doubt, you couldn’t care less what I do.”
Despite showcasing Rose’s vocals, “Stella” is the album’s weak point. The song’s subject, Stella, is a typical villain in the narrative of female friendship: She’s catty, envious and dishonest. While the ballad is deeply personal, it is discordant with the rest of the EP’s content — and more importantly — sound. The exploration of female friendship is derivative, and it lacks the nuance with which Rose typically portrays romantic connections.
The EP ends strongly, though, with three consecutive triumphs for Rose. Even though “Bittersweet” is a sonically lighter track on the record, it’s haunting as Rose sings of the uncertainty that follows the end of a relationship. She describes the complications of holding onto romantic connections of the past, singing “Sometimes, I dream about you, don’t know what it means / I can’t erase you / I feel like a fuckin’ freak / I get defensive like you mean something to me.”
“RIP” creates a dreamy but unexpected setting for Rose’s biting and perceptive lyrics. This conflict is expressed in the song’s jarring opening: “I wanna die / When you say you love me /It’s cloaked in necessity / It’s not what you mean” is sung quietly alongside a singular electric guitar. The contradictions continue as Rose’s love for her partner competes with the knowledge that she is not his first choice.
The EP closes powerfully with “Dumb Girl,” a self-aware track that soars and crashes with just a moment’s notice. Rose exposes herself fully here, bringing to light the fleeting nature of a romantic connection that lacks commitment. Her vocals are raw by the time she reaches the bridge, revealing a heightened awareness of her inability to untangle pain from desire: “Everytime I see you, I just wanna die / So in love, you’re acquitted from the crime.” The song lays bare what sits at the core of Rose’s songwriting: the idea that the messiness of 21st-century dating — label or not — doesn’t make the passion any less real.
Rose was one of the openers for the European leg of Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism tour, but she has been quickly making a name for herself in her own right after performing on the main stage at Leeds Festival. Just a year ago, she sang on the BBC Introducing Stage, demonstrating her meteoric rise to popularity. “Voyeur” is Rose at her prime. In an interview with People Magazine, she said that the album “feels self-assured, formed through the sounds I have learned to love whilst spending more and more time in the studio working with my favorite people.” For listeners interested in discovering the next big star, Alessi Rose is an artist to look out for.
Alyssia Ouhocine is a Senior Staff Writer covering Arts & Culture. Hailing from Bayonne, New Jersey, she is concentrating in English and History with a particular interest in Algerian history and literature. When she’s not writing, she can be found listening to music and sending Google Calendar invites.
