Sydney Rose Re-Imagines 'Mr. Brightside' in Newest Release

19-year-old singer/songwriter Sydney Rose shared her cover of The Killer’s “Mr. Brightside” with a fresh twist. Led by acoustic guitar and whisper-soft vocals, Sydney Rose unveils the true intimacy behind the twenty-first-century pop-rock classic in her newest release. The artist’s unplugged rendition brings a new sense of humanity and vulnerability to the integral modern anthem. “Mr. Brightside” is available now via Public Consumption.

On the inspiration behind the cover, Rose explains, “Mr. Brightside was one of my favorite songs growing up. It’s always been the default song that I sing when I’m given a guitar. I thought making ‘Mr. Brightside’ into a slower, sadder version of itself would be so fun. I took inspiration from my favorite artists like Phoebe Bridgers and made a rock song into a whimsical, sad ballad.”

The track follows Sydney’s 2023 release “I can’t live without you (feat. Charlie Oriain),” which Sweety High coined as “a whispery, gorgeous ballad straight from the heart.” This year also brought singles “Oat Milk” and “Tell Him I Miss Him,” the latter of which Stereogum praised as “lovely and delicate,” noting, “[the] achingly spare song … slowly layers on more instruments and effects without losing any heart.”

Sydney shared her latest EP This Kind Of Thing Doesn’t Last in November. On the five-track collection written solely by Rose, the Georgia-native opened up about growing up, friendship, mental health, and longing, with songs unfolding like a handwritten diary. The release arrived alongside a self-directed official music video for focus track “Too Fast.” This Kind Of Thing Doesn’t Last is available on all streaming platforms now via Public Consumption.

The EP was heralded by singles “Charlie,” and “Bedroom Floor,” an earnest ballad about the pain of a loved one going off to college without you. “Charlie” builds to a stunning crescendo as Rose encapsulates her anxiety with the repeated refrain, “I feel like I’m getting bad again.”

Last summer, the artist shared her debut EP You Never Met Me, out now via Public Consumption. The project included previously released singles “Phoebe Told Me,” “Things That Don’t Exist (feat. Zachary Knowles),” and “I’ll Never Get Over It” and arrived to critical acclaim, with PEOPLE Magazine naming her one of their Emerging Artists To Watch and Under The Radar attesting, “‘You Never Met Me’ is the sound of Rose finding herself in her music and introducing herself to the world, tracing all of the messy contours of teenage heartbreak in the process.” Amplify Her Voice also praised the effort, stating “Rose re-discovers different parts of herself on her own, presenting her real self through a delicately honest six-song collection.”

Sydney Rose initially gained traction via her intimate YouTube channel covers as well as TikTok, where she has amassed over 200k followers on the platform. Her rendition of Sleeping At Last’s “Turning Page” has accumulated over 50 million streams.