Although we all like to believe we have the free will to choose our path, sometimes elements of fate guide the direction. Ironically, Isabel LaRosa has admitted to not entirely enjoying singing when younger, but here she is at twenty years old, fully enthralled in a music career.
Born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, and of Cuban heritage with a rich passion for music, it seemed almost inevitable that the art form would surround her. A vital part of Cuban culture, Jazz has historically been a part of their identity, with lively arrangements and colorful instrumentation. Considering this, LaRosa’s father brought her and her brother Thomas up, making regular visits to local Jazz clubs. A close-knit family, Dad would play saxophone, Thomas would eventually play guitar, and she would sing.
From there, LaRosa began to develop her own musical pallet, beginning to pen songs with her brother while only in elementary school. The two would continue to collaborate into high school and soon decided to work separately and explore where the music took them. This happened around 2020 when the world shut down due to COVID-19, which allowed LaRosa to put a good deal of time into working on her music. Exploring sounds, she eventually began to put out the songs into the stratosphere via social media applications like TikTok, hoping to get the gold standard of internet promotion, a viral video. Something that did not happen overnight; with a stroke of luck, a song LaRosa and her brother penned called “Haunted” suddenly picked up steam with wider interest.
Looking at “Haunted,” the dark undertone of the Electronic Pop song provided the springboard LaRosa needed to get to the next level. This would be signing on with RCA Records in 2021 and releasing the three-song EP I’m Watching You in June 2022. Picking up more traction in October 2022, she put out the standalone single “i’m yours,” and quickly LaRosa was on the path toward stardom as it charted around the world and would eventually go platinum. Barely an adult at this point at this point in time, with a strong support system behind her, LaRosa is moving forward with optimism.
Putting out the five-track EP in March 2023, You Fear the God That Loves You (which included the mesmerizing “butterflies”), several more singles followed – including 2023’s “older,” which made it onto several charts, as did 2024’s “favorite.” In addition, LaRosa has amassed two billion streams worldwide, five billion short-form video streams via social media, and nearly three hundred million video streams. It is important to mention that a big part of LaRosa’s art is the cinematic aspects. Something else she is serious about, LaRosa pours her heart and soul into visual productions where she has the opportunity to combine her love for Horror films into stunningly well-produced videos.
A truly inspiring young lady who can write, sing, and has an eye for cinematography, she has also toured with Nessa Barrett in 2022. Jumping forward, she is now set to embark on her headlining Psychopomp Tour around North America in late April 2025. This is not to mention that she released a brand new single entitled “Home” on Valentine’s Day 2025, which to this point has earned nearly three million streams.
So, what is Isabel LaRosa’s next step? Naturally, it is to release a full-length album, and that will arrive at some point in 2025 under the title Raven. With no exact release date yet determined, it should be sometime in the spring, and it should be fascinating to hear. With all of this in mind, there might still be some out there unfamiliar with LaRosa in spite of her early success. In that case, the best way to describe her music is as a mix of Pop, Electronic, and even some Rock, all with a bit of an ethereal sensation. The truth is her sound is wide open, and songs like “Muse” are proof she can dance between genres as her soft, sultry voice lures you in.
Only time will tell what happens next for the young Isabel LaRosa, but with an already mature approach to Dark Pop, the sky appears to be the limit.
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