I’ve just listened to HOLLYWOOD FOREVER, the new album by rising alt-pop artist DeathbyRomy, and I’m beyond impressed.
While the music feels raw, with goth, punk and industrial pop elements heavily influencing its overall aesthetic, I still find the songs catchy and accessible. The production is quite polished, infusing elements of modern pop, trap and electronica.
With this album, Romy was able to craft a cohesive narrative, reflecting on her life growing up in Los Angeles, and having to deal with both its glamorous and nasty sides. “LA LA LAND” captures this perfectly. Throughout the album, the artist’s lyrics are direct, blunt and expressive.
“I’ve been through a lot to get to this point,” Romy says. “I wanted this record to feel like both a reckoning and a celebration. LA is my home, and this album is my love letter to it. It’s about all the contradictions, all the pain, but also all the beauty. I found my first manager and signed my first publishing deal at 17. At times I felt preyed on and used by the men and people around me. I realized that I had been consistently writing about Hollywood, the industry, and those feelings of being exploited. Without even consciously trying to make an album about that, I had been writing on that topic. So it became clear to me: that’s the story I need to tell.”
HOLLYWOOD FOREVER was released alongside the music video for “LITTLE DREAMER”, which shows the artist and her friends hitting the strip club. This is another standout from the album.
Stream HOLLYWOOD FOREVER below and follow DeathbyRomy on Instagram.
