INTERNAL WAR OF A GEMINI GIRL, EP
Brief: Package a collection of disjointed songs and visuals into a project that makes sense together. Each was written, recorded, and filmed over the span of three years. It’s release will act as an playful re-introduction, while it’s more concise sister EP is under construction.
Role: Creative Director
Essence: Exposing the messy girl bedroom behind the hot outfit. The duality and cognitive dissonance of the gemini identity. Opposing forces at war from within.
Client: Shi la Rosa, a personal music project.
The EP
INTERNAL WAR OF A GEMINI GIRL, EP is an explosive sampler of range. I try on genres like a change of clothes, and this project is the messy girl bedroom aftermath. It's a confluence of experimentation and dynamic identity. It documents the internal war and unpredictability that rages within, some could say due to my gemini birth chart, others could say ADHD. For me, it depends on the day.
Artifacts from each song on the tracklist are ispy’ed throughout the artwork and promo material. “Tracklist Maps” revealing each artifact and credit sheets are below.
TEMP4EVER
SINGLE 1: As the hook states: tonight might be temporary, but I’ll live in your dreams forever. TEMP4EVER sets the scene for the chaos that lies ahead. Brash and provocative, it’s not holding any punches on lyrical shock-value. This acts as a bridge between prior releases (the hypersexual lyrical nonesense from former band, Drugs Cosmetics) and the solo sonic journey ahead.
CANT GET ENOUGH
SINGLE 2: Sonically speaking, if TEMP4EVER was the dominating s*x in a club bathroom, then CANT GET ENOUGH is the submissive intimate aftermath. When you stumble home, ears are still ringing, and everything is slower. Whatever’s in your veins is still coursing through. And it reaches its climax just as you do. Artwork inspired by marionette dolls.
PLSTC JSUS
SINGLE 3: When writing, I was sick of navigating the power dynamics and egos that come with so many men. As if I’m supposed to cater to their needs and desires, putting my own aside. There’s a delicate dance many women partake in, navigating infuriating conversations by batting our eyelashes and smiling. This song puts me in the driver’s seat, calling the shots, and you’re my passenger princess. You’re the accessory that dangles from my keychain and gets shoved to the bottom of my purse. Your divinity is plastic, theres no substance to it. But maybe I’ll play along if it gets me what I want.
HEAVEN
SINGLE 4: What would it take to make an angel fall from heaven? An attraction so vicious she’d stop the world from spinning. So euphoric it felt like heaven in itself.
Being independent can feel a lot like heaven. We’ve sworn ourselves into the secret society of not needing a relationship. But when someone comes along and shakes the utopia you’ve built for yourself, it can feel like you’re turning in the keys to this castle you’ve worked so hard on. But at the same time, you get access to the forbidden fruit of love again. And there are few things nearly as sweet.
HARD
EP TRACK: Inspired by my totally normal newfound obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In a nu-metal Britney Spears hellscape, I dreamt up a world where Buffy was turned into a vampire herself. Both the slayed and the slayer.
BEG
(TITS FOR BRAINS)
EP TRACK: Tying back into how we started this rollout, we find ourselves on the dance floor with another club banger. Inspired by a shirt I got the day of the session and my formative obsession with Y2K pop stars.
POST-RELEASE SPECIAL MOMENTS
FASH. Review
“PLSTC JSUS” is a standout track in Shi la Rosa’s discography… Shi la Rosa is not just an artist to watch, but an artist you can’t take your eyes off of. Her head-turning lyrics, saturated sonics, and blinding originality as an artist will stun you like a deer in headlights.
Article by Grace Holtzclaw, Photos by Grace McCarthy
PLSTC JSUS
”BABY SHOWER”
“You’re invited to my baby shower! My baby: the PLSTC JSUS music video world PREMIERE, of course. With the help of my incredibly talented cast & crew, I’m ready to launch ‘er out my cooch and into your loving arms.”
DJ sets by RAMPAIGE (the DP) and DJ SOL (the BTS photographer) of the PLSTC JSUS video.
DOLBY ATMOS MUSIC ACCELERATOR
Selected as one of four artists to participate in a four day bootcamp. We were taught how to mix in Dolby Atmos on Logic Pro X, then took our newfound knowledge to our own song. I was paired with certified Dolby Atmos mix engineer, Jose Cordoza, and together we created a release-ready Dolby Mix of HEAVEN.
@Dolbylabs promoted the release on their socials.
AUDIOMACK TRENDING
HEAVEN wound up on streaming platform Audiomack’s front page “Trending Songs” section, along with Maggie Rogers and Artemas.
Credits: INTERNAL WAR OF A GEMINI GIRL, EP Artwork by Grace McCarthy, Edit by Shi la Rosa (Rachel Colonna), Additional Credits: 01 BEG (TITS FOR BRAINS) WITH APASTATE, Written by Shi la Rosa (Rachel Colonna), Apastate, & Matt Scarpelli, Produced by Apastate & Matt Scarpelli, Mix/Master by This NVR Happened (Rachel Blum & Elliot Polokoff) 02 HARD Written by Shi la Rosa (Rachel Colonna) & Dave Hammer, Produced/Mix/Master by Dave Hammer, Photos by Wade Rogers 03 HEAVEN Written by Shi la Rosa (Rachel Colonna) & Max Steger, Produced/Mix/Master by Max Steger, Dolby Atmos Mix by Jose Cordoza, Artwork by Alexander Han 04 PLSTC JSUS Written by Shi la Rosa (Rachel Colonna) & Mothé, Produced by Mothé & Robert Adam Stevenson, Mix/Master by Cody Doss, Artwork by Paige Hochstatter & Edited by Shi la Rosa (Rachel Colonna), BTS Photography by Alexander Han 05 CANT GET ENOUGH, Written by Shi la Rosa (Rachel Colonna) & Max Steger, Produced/Mix/Master by Max Steger, Artwork by Liat Benezra 06 TEMP4EVER, Written by Shi la Rosa (Rachel Colonna) & This NVR Happened (Rachel Blum & Elliot Polokoff), Produced/Mix/Master by This NVR Happened (Rachel Blum & Elliot Polokoff), Dolby Atmos Mix by Jose Cordoza, Artwork by Grace McCarthy & Edited by Shi la Rosa (Rachel Colonna)