LISTEN: Sam DeRosa Delivers Emotional Pop Perfection With 'Sad Faces'

Sam DeRosa delivers emotional pop perfection with new single "Sad Faces" out globally today. The new tune is the third offering lifted from her highly anticipated debut EP The Medicine due out November 13th via Monument Records.

"Sad Faces" details a powerful narrative, one that shines a light on mental health awareness in contrast with its upbeat melody. The singer-songwriter's candid lyricism eclipses over a magnetic drumline that has you hooked instantly, positioning Sam DeRosa as not only a force behind the scenes but a new relatable face in the incredible squad of artists who are sharing sincere pop music with the world (à la Julia Michaels and Sasha Sloan). Struggling with doubt and apprehension after relocating to LA, Sam admits, "I felt like I got everything I wanted in music and in life, and my Instagram looked all sorts of 'happy,' but my mental health was just in the toilet." On the track, she laments, "I just wanna feel fine... But I don't know how to deal, don't know how to heal all of the chaos in my mind... Tired of ending all my sentences with sad faces. Tired of taking all my happy thoughts to bad places. And I really wanna change. I really wanna be okay, but it's hard when everybody's got the same sad faces."

This past September, Sam DeRosa revealed "321" after a brief lapse in content due to the ongoing pandemic, much like several others in the music industry. Penning the track from her own experience bumping into an ex, Sam perfectly captures the universal emotional turmoil that takes over you from the unexpected encounter. Sam tells PARADE, "'321' was a concept and title I'd been wanting to write for a while." She explains, "It's a moment that we all experience in a break up: the late night, sometimes tipsy, moment of regret...when you tend to go crazy in your thoughts and think that you've made a mistake and after all this time, you want this person back. But do you really? It's a vulnerable and honest story that 90% of us have experienced."

Equal parts cool girl and the girl next door, Sam DeRosa is the best friend music lovers didn't know they had. Sam notes, "The whole idea of my EP is supposed to feel like I'm walking myself through my own love rehab. From track 1 until the final track, I really wanted it to feel like each track is a full day of healing and processing your emotions." She continues, "Hopefully my fans will hear this and feel like I'm right there with them - whether we are stumbling home, dancing around the house, or crying it out on the bedroom floor. I've been there, so I'll sing them through it."

Following a remarkable performance of her original song "Pill For This" on NBC's Songland (with special guest Charlie Puth), Sam DeRosa instantly stole judges Shane McAnally, Ester Dean, and Ryan Tedder's hearts. While Sam is far from just any overnight TV series success, it was this moment of utter vulnerability that sparked her partnership with multi Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves, Kelly Clarkson, Sam Hunt) and her first major record deal with Monument Records (a joint venture with Sony Music). Sam tells PEOPLE, "I never in a million, trillion years thought that it would happen this way... I've been waiting tables and bartending, singing cover gigs and missing holidays with my family for gigs that only paid $50. I always thought, there's no way when you put this much energy into something that can't work."

Upon its release in 2019, "Pill For This" landed on the Top 5 US iTunes Sales Chart and has racked up over 4 million streams to date. The single was also featured across several notable playlists including Spotify's New Music Friday and Chilled Pop Hits, Apple Music's New Music Daily and A-List Pop, as well as Amazon's Introducing Pop and Brand New Music. American Songwriter commended Sam for her "heartfelt delivery and ability to pinpoint an infectious melody" while HollywoodLife praised the visual component for "accurately capturing the strife and struggle that comes when trying to pick up the pieces after a broken heart." Billboard later premiered the stripped down version of "Pill For This," closing the chapter of her life as just a writer behind the scenes and primed her for stardom.

Looking back, it's surprising that the New York-raised and Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter didn't often share her music with those around her. Although she began writing her own songs at a very young age, Sam would opt to perform cover songs whilst competing in talent show after talent show - only to lose out to other contestants. At 15, she decided to bring her keyboard onstage to sing one of her own written songs. Staying true to herself, she was finally awarded a perfect score. It was then that she discovered the formula to honest success and began to embrace her newfound confidence. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, Sam was invited to one of her first co-writing sessions in New York. Making the drive from Boston to New York City, she co-wrote a song called "Broken." Two years later plus a move to Los Angeles, "Broken" became a multi-platinum smash hit for lovelytheband and the longest charting rock song in radio history. Sam's credits have grown exponentially since, including cuts with Tik Tok-star-turned-singer Dixie D'Amelio on her groundbreaking #1 debut "Be Happy," blackbear, Lil Mosey, Adam Jensen, Jared Lee, Peking Duk and Alisa Xayalith (of The Naked And Famous), Welshly Arms, and more. However, with the release of "321" and her upcoming EP (which will also include "Pill For This"), Sam DeRosa is ready to bask in the spotlight.

Listen to "Sad Faces" here:

Photo Credit: Naserin Bogado

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