Hello, my name is Rosalyn, Rose for short or Miss Rosé if you nasty ;D but I’m also a musician by the name of Hybrid Rose. I am Wellington-based and I write/record/produce and engineer ultra-femme campy pop music.
How did you get into music? What are your fondest musical childhood memories?
My first experience with audio engineering was hooking the Singstar mics up to my family window XP and recording songs through the Movie Maker Narrator feature. I got my first laptop at 11, and discovered DAWs and how to produce from scratch - the rest is history!
When did you become ‘Hybrid Rose’? Is there a story behind the name?
WELL!!! I am so glad you asked hehe. It went from being a more exaggerated version of myself, to just showing off who I really am - I used to be shy but now I can't wait to get naked on silk fabrics n roll around in cookie monster platforms.
How would you describe your sound and aesthetic?
A hot, fly, sexy beautiful icon - as well as NZ’s biggest campy pop star!
You just released your album ‘HyperKunt’. Can you tell us how it compares to your previous albums and the meaning behind the name?
It’s literally a whole new era in my artistry - when you start to love yourself, you flourish in a way that becomes endearing. This album is my ultimate childhood fantasy!
What were you listening to when you wrote the album?
Early on, I was really influenced by Slayyyter’s Troubled Paradise, but then I discovered more ultra-femme music, as well as digging back into my ultra-love for 90s diva music (Diana Ross, Crystal Waters, Spice Girls etc.) so it just turned into a playlist, which you can find on my Spotify page :))))
Can you tell us about your musical journey? Your decision to start making pop music & how being LGBTQIA+ has influenced your music.
I just wanna return my overdue library books and go to the post office :// but I think being trans felt like it would prevent me from being on the same level as my peers, turns out I was wrong and you can succeed, no matter who you are!
Tell us about a favourite or most memorable performance/project/song from your musical career?
Dial Tone, nothing could represent me more as an artist than this track!
What have you been listening to lately?
A lot of Britney Spears (specifically Blackout and In The Zone) as well as more Lily Allen (No Shame and It’s Not Me, It’s You) and of course Lana Del Rey (Blue Banisters)
What do you think is unique or special about the music industry in New Zealand?
There’s something really unique about how we approach music. It’s like we have our own little tongue-in-cheek approach to the lyrics. I like when artists are straight to the point in a way that we can all relate and laugh back at it, or at least know what they’re talking about and acknowledge it.
Are there any Kiwi musicians who inspire you? Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Me, myself n I - in all honesty, local queer musicians are the rage at the moment - people who are unapologetic about their identity and how it’s portrayed!!! For a long time, we’ve missed that flavour of spice in music and it’s good to see that come back (Jason Parker and Jeivenchy specifically) <333
That being said, I would give my left leg and right breast, boob, tiddy and jug to collaborate with ZOWIE!!!!
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
I love baking, I love reading and learning new things but ultimately I just love to work with other people, support n work for other musicians. my whole life is entirely surrounded by music and that'll never change!
What’s next for you? Any new songs, projects, collaborations etc?
I just wanna live in the HyperKunt universe for a while, perform the music live, drop some remixes, film more visuals n keep building this empire that is The House of HyperKunt!
Check out more of Hybrid Rose's work here!
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