Eliza Rose is still the baddest of them all

Eliza Rose — who, thanks to the success of her 2022 single ‘B.O.T.A.’, has well and truly earned the title ‘baddest of them all’ — has been having a busy summer. From lighting up the Glade stage at Glastonbury to releasing a new party-girl anthem, the east Londoner isn’t resting on her laurels. She remains as deeply in love with the music as she did when working in a record store in her teens. Though, with her first studio album on the horizon and her own label, Rosebud Recordings, the realisation of that love admittedly looks a little different now.

Rocking her self-proclaimed “hairstyle of the summer” (blonde with hot pink tips) Rose exudes an intoxicating excitement about the future as we chat. Ultimately, she just wants it to be as fun as possible. And that’s what her new track, ‘Weekend’, is all about. A ’90s-style, nostalgic tune, it bottles up the feeling of anticipation you get on a Friday evening, getting ready and wondering where the night will take you. If you think about it, those nights are a bit like Rose’s life — fashion-forward, full of surprises and always centred around music. 

Here, the artist gives us a snapshot of this exciting existence as we discuss legacy tunes, dream collaborations and her signature “Black Kylie Minogue” style.

Hi, Eliza!

Hi, babe!

Congratulations on the new single! What was your inspiration behind ‘Weekend’? What sort of parties did you channel into it?

‘Weekend’ is about that feeling before you go to the club or party. That’s the anticipation, the excitement, I wanted to tap into. It doesn’t really matter where your night is going to take you, it’s about that feeling of what could happen. It has girls’ holiday energy. I’ve had some of the best nights out of my life in Ibiza, being with friends and going back to the villa, so I wanted to tap into that old school, ’90s sound and vibe.

This single also marks your first release with Defected Records. Can we expect more to come out of this collaboration?

I love Defected. I think they’ve put out some of the best house music ever made — ‘The Cure & The Cause’ is one of my favourite songs and it influenced my style. To be able to release something on that label is amazing and when you’re working with them you really feel like you’re part of the fam. It creates magic.

As a self-proclaimed east London girl with a short south London stint, do you think the city has influenced your sound?

It one hundred percent influenced me. I grew up listening to garage. I didn’t even see it as electronic music, I didn’t have an understanding of it. It was when I started going out — way too young, sneaking in with a fake ID — I understood it as music that you go out to dance to. When I started working in the record shop, I suddenly had access to real underground garage: Ant Hill Mob, Confetti records, all of these amazing labels. But also listening to more soul — Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald. I think that’s what I do with my music — combining the soulful with the electronic side.

Is this a sound you want to keep pursuing in your next project?

I’m working towards making albums at the moment, and I’m going to be exploring sounds throughout the electronic spectrum. I have some trick pop sounds, some more ’80s music, of course still a bit of garage, a little bit of acid. But my vocals will always be at the forefront of that. I love collaboration, but I’m moving towards working on front-facing projects, too.

You’ve previously talked about how you find your position in the industry as a Black woman. Are there any fellow Black women in the scene that you can’t wait to see blow up?

Oh, loads. OK Williams is an incredible DJ, my friend Amaliah, Bambi is a great producer and artist. Introspekt was actually one of the first people to put something out on Rosebud [Recordings]. We’ve still got a long way to go, and it feels like we’ve gone a bit backwards — people are not as cautious about making line-ups fair, but there are more and more amazing Black female electronic music artists. There is more space to learn and more female communities. We just have to make sure we’re keeping the lineups there.

In your own journey, where do you see your label, Rosebud Recordings, moving towards?

Really, I just want to keep that DIY ethos. It means I have control over my music and it lets me put out my own weird little shit without worrying. It was never a money thing for me, even if B.O.T.A. came out on it, at first, I didn’t ever expect it to blow up.

‘B.O.T.A.’ was absolutely huge when it came out. How much has your life changed since you hit that viral status?

It catapulted me — meteoric rise and all that malarkey. But it was really like being on a rollercoaster. It really opened my eyes to the fact that music is a business and many people treat it as such. I think the song became bigger than me and I do love it, I’m grateful for it, but I now want people to see Eliza Rose the artist, not just the singer of ‘The Baddest of Them All’.

After playing Glastonbury, what other giants are on your bucket list?

I would really like to put my own events on, maybe a small-cap club somewhere in Hackney, go back to those Plastic People days where it was all about the music. I also want to start touring my live shows, somewhere like Primavera, or do a whole album live at Glastonbury, which is like a spiritual home for me.

Talking festivals, your style is very much mood-board material. What is your fashion inspiration?

I really love the ’60s, ’70s and ’90s, they are key eras for me. Lady Miss Kier has always been an influence to me, but I’m definitely moving into a more grown and sexy era. This Black Kylie Minogue is the realm I want to touch on now, and I feel like my style has really grown a lot. I say, while wearing an acid green adidas top.

Instead of a dinner party lineup, who would be your dream three collabs, dead or alive?

Prince. Amy Winehouse. Billie Holiday. What an amazing lineup it would be.

Where can people find you having a dance this summer?

I am focusing on the studio at the moment, but I will be playing Defected, Pride, which is really exciting, All Points East, Lost Village. I now try to do a festival a year where I don’t play, so this year I’m going to Field Maneuvers, just to soak it all up with no pressure, enjoy the hedonism and the party element of it all.

Listen to ‘Weekend’ here.