Tuesday, October 07, 2014

FOREVER AFTER


Vienna Rose Da Re, better known as V. Rose, was born on January 9, 1989 in Sacramento, California.  Her bio describes her in her early years as “a burgeoning talent who regularly joined the church choir onstage and played impromptu concerts in the family living room.  V. Rose asked God for the gift of songwriting”.  She released her self-titled debut in 2011 and in 2013 put out an Electro-Pop deluxe edition of it with six extra tracks.  Now she is back with FOREVER AFTER (2014, Clear Sight Music).  Of it she says: “My hope is that this record will cause people to see their lives in relation to eternity, to stop and think about the things they say and do, and ultimately realize the realness of Christ and His return.  The album is based on Revelation 21...We will all spend eternity somewhere and what we do in this life does count for something”.  She adds: “If I can be any kind of light or role model to combat the attractive-but damaging messages being shoved in people’s faces, then I will”.  The majority of the songs on FOREVER AFTER are pop/dance in nature.

‘No Better U (Glee Club Intro)’ warns against comparing oneself to others: “Sometimes we wish we were someone else but/You’ve got to take a look at yourself/And know that nobody else in the world can be a better you”.  ‘No Better U’ reveals struggles with self-esteem: “I feel like hiding out underneath my hoodie/Some days I just don’t feel pretty/Some days I admit that/I bet you didn’t know I get like that/I’m hiding from my Twitter/Sometimes everything’s not glitter/Sometimes they mess with my head/Have me wishin’ I was someone else instead”.

‘Nothing for Love’ finds AJ Larsen on guitars and Lamontt ‘SPEC’ Blackshire on the talkbox.  It reminds us of God’s unconditional love for us: “I used to think that one day I would become perfect/And maybe then I’d finally be good enough to be good/Like God was waiting for that day to come/(It made sense to me then)/But I know now He doesn’t care ‘bout that stuff/He cares about you/So grab somebody’s hand tonight/Tell them that it’s gonna be alright/You just gotta come thru as you are/He don’t care how bad you think you are/Hands up, saying oh (2X)/Cause it’s nothing for love”.  Flame appears on ‘Am I Trending?’  This song speaks of the foolishness of chasing after popularity: “Shouldn’t I do these things just to keep up with the fad?/Am I trending?/Should I do it because they taught me to?/Should I, should I jump off the bridge right after you?/Don’t care I hurt myself/As long as they think that I’m cool”.

Shonlock appears on ‘Forever Endeavor’.  This one takes an eternal perspective on things: “I could take my chances falling down/And I could not be so distant from the crowd/I could profit off it and just maybe win their crown/They only hate me cuz I love You/But I don’t care about now/Cause where I’m goin’/No more smeared mascara cuz we won’t cry/No broken pieces cuz no one will die/Everything brand new will feel so alive/And I wanna go, yeah/I wanna go/Forever endeavor”.  ‘When He Finds You’ points to God: “And I know that the radio keeps telling you/Throw your life away like you don’t got a clue/You think I’m confused for telling you the truth/But everything you see them do, you wanna do/I see so clearly now/You just want to be happy, searching for love/I hope you find Him, find Him find Him, the Truth/When He finds you”.

Da T.R.U.T.H. joins V. On ‘Worshipping Tonight’ which is a song of spiritual surrender: “Tonight I’ll do it, tonight I’m ready for You, I’ll prove it/Tonight I’m gonna Lord, give my life away/Tonight I love You/Tonight I let You in/Tonight I trust You/Take away my sin/I give my life away”.  ‘Forget About the World’ looks towards the next life for believers: “Forget about the world/Don’t hold it tight, no.../Cause all of your riches, all of your pearls/They’re gonna perish with the rest of the world.../C’mon look up to the sky/Who’s in heaven but Jesus?”

‘Crown Thief’ begins with sirens and a piano playing.  This ballad is a confidence booster: “Isn’t it somethin’/People say you’ll never be nothin’, you’ll never be somethin’/Well you know what I think/I think it’s crazy for you to believe everything you hear/So take your hands, cover up your ears/And understand only God knows who you could be, so  only He should be One to speak, right/So don’t let ‘em, let ‘em get you down/Cause you’re no good layin’ on the ground/My mom used to say ‘You just shut ‘em down/Don’t let ‘em steal your crown’”.  ‘. L ‘seems deeply personal: “You were everything a sister’s for and I never could have asked for more/And I know it wasn’t fair how one day I wasn’t there/But I needed you the same and sometimes I still get angry/And I know you still get angry/How they pulled us apart, crazy/What happened was crazy/But we can’t keep on blamin’/No, no/Cuz we gotta pray and we gotta face what we gotta face/And we gotta stay/No we can’t run away from all our problems/From the One who could solve ‘em/There’s only One who could solve ‘em/He’ll take all your sad days/And put an end to the sad face”.

AJ Larsen plays guitars on ‘Tortured Mind’, while ‘J-Drastic’ Gates provides additional programming (strings/piano/pads).  This song includes these very emotionally honest words: “I’ve got these pictures in my head/A thousand words to put to rest/Cause to say them is wrong/They get me so angry/Feels like I’m goin’ crazy/How do I move on?/I wish I could spread my wings and fly/I wish I didn’t always have to cry/Singing the same sad songs”.  ‘King Kong’s Skyline’ is a beautiful ballad about true love’s nature: “I’ll climb over King Kong’s skyline/Crashing through buildings and walls if it even at all shows you how much I care.../I don’t care how long it takes or how much I break/I’ll find you no matter how high”.  Last up is a bonus track.  ‘Turn up your Light’ featuring KJ-52 is a fun dance number.  Here are some of the words: “I want them to see You/So I’m climbin’ up to the top of the world/To show what I’m made of/Cause I’ve got a Light that’s out of this world, yeah/Look in my eyes and you can see the love inside of me/I’m like a rocket getting ready to launch/I need to tell somebody/I want everyone to know/Ready, set, here I go”.

NewReleaseTuesday.com has called V. Rose one of ‘The Ten Most Underrated Artists in 2014’.  V. Rose is a young lady who is excited about sharing her faith through upbeat, contagious dance music that many young people will easily relate to.  If you like Christian hip-hop music, four of these tracks featuring four different guest artists, particularly will appeal to you.  Vienna really does have a good singing voice which comes through especially on the ballads.  Fans of Kesha, Rihanna, and 1 Girl Nation should buy this album.  I’m rating FOREVER AFTER 88%.  For more info visit www.clearsightmusic.com or look up V. Rose on Facebook.