Music
Rose Gray Made A Playlist For You
Featuring Robyn, Madonna, and a few of her own songs, obviously.
Rose Gray knows music. The British singer-songwriter’s oeuvre of forward-thinking electropop has been a staple of the European club scene since 2019, with her work commanding the attention of artists like Kesha, Shygirl, and TSHA, to name a few.
After releasing her highly anticipated debut Louder, Please, earlier this year, the 28-year-old dropped the deluxe version (aptly titled A Little Louder, Please), on Oct. 24. A 27-track collection of remixes, club edits, and new songs, the project reaches even higher highs than its already-astonishing predecessor — thanks, in part, to collaborations with JADE, Melanie C, Alex Chapman, Casey MQ, Logic1000, and more.
Naturally, when you’re in need of a new playlist, you turn to Rose Gray. That’s why we’ve tapped the burgeoning pop artist to curate a collection of her favorite songs of the moment, because we could all use a playlist refresh every once in a while.
Ahead, Gray shares her picks, from forgotten Madonna classics to perennial Lady Gaga favorites.
“This Is Sick” by Solid Groove
“What a tune. I always mix this into my DJ sets. I love the girl’s voice narrating.”
“Lotus” by Rose Gray
“This is my favourite kind of dance music. It sounds so timeless, like something straight from the '90s. I wrote it about opening up to someone, really letting go. ‘Like a lotus in bloom, I’ll open up for you.’ When I play it live, I can feel the shift in the room, lovers start kissing, and by the last chorus everyone’s moving. It’s magic to experience that on stage.”
“With Every Heartbeat” by Robyn
“I just had my first writing trip in Stockholm and I was proper emotional the whole time. My life feels like it’s shifting. I’m excited, but I miss little glimpses of my old life. I had this on repeat walking around the city. ‘’Cause I don’t look back…’ Robyn’s one of my forever artists. Her music has held me through so many different versions of myself.”
“Waterloo Sunset” by The Kinks
“As a Londoner and a lover of that part of the river, this song gives me such a deep calm and nostalgia. My Popps is a massive Kinks fan, so I grew up with their music in the house. It feels like home.”
“Summerboy” by Lady Gaga
“I was about 11 when this dropped. Crushing hard on some boy. I knew every single word. Gaga’s basically the soundtrack to most of my youth.”
“Veridis Quo” by Daft Punk
“Arguably the best build in a song ever. Euphoric, classic. It’s one I always come back to.”
“Leftover Wine” by Melanie
“My favourite song in the world. I know some people can’t choose, but I can. I’ve got the second verse tattooed all over my arms. Melanie’s like the original party girl, she captures that strange, lonely beauty at the end of the night. ‘Where do you go when the party’s all done? / What do I do with the leftover wine?’ The production is so delicate. I listen to her on repeat.”
“Blackwater (128 Full Strings Vocal Mix” by Octave One
“Crazy. Pure club bliss. The strings… wow. I’ve got a track I’m working on for my next project that sonically lives in this world.”
“Party People (Karl F Rivas Remix)” by Rose Gray
“This version’s darker than the original. It leans into the otherworldly side of a night out, when things get strange and a bit lonely. Sega Bodega always pushes me into a more alternative, warped headspace with my vocals and sound design. I love weird sh*t. The deluxe (A Little Louder Please) definitely explores that further.”
“Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak
“This is the one I want playing while I’m slow dancing with my man in some cinematic hotel room, sipping whiskey. What a song. The melody is heartbreakingly good. So visceral. I love when a song does that to me... pulls me straight into a world.”
“Final Credits” by Midland
“I feel sixteen again every time I hear this. It just captures a night out perfectly. All I want to do is dance to this with my best mates.”
“The Sofa” by Wolf Alice
“I’m obsessed. It reminds me of being in love, lounging around at home in London, just not giving a f*ck about anything. There’s beauty in that. The art of doing nothing and being content. I forget how important that is sometimes.”
“Impressive Instant” by Madonna
“Mother. M. Music is my favourite Madonna album right now. The way it moves between electronic and live production is just seamless. I love the autotune stacked like skyscrapers, trippy synths. ‘I like to singy singy singy like a bird on a wingy wingy wingy.’ Lyrics? 100/100.”
“End Theme” by Zero 7
“This track is crazily beautiful. String arrangement goes wild. Perfect song to end a night on, it says so much without a single lyric. I’ve been listening to Zero 7 since I was a kid, I now use this song to get my hyped before a show.”
