Isabel LaRosa on Self-Worth, Lana Del Rey, and Finding Success Beyond the Screens
Isabel LaRosa is the alt-pop siren whose haunting vocals, cinematic storytelling, and viral hits are reshaping the sound — and soul — of Gen Z.
LaRosa’s breakthrough came with the 2022 single "I'm Yours," which went viral on TikTok, amassing over half a billion streams worldwide and propelling her into the international spotlight. This success was soon followed by her 2023 EP, You Fear the God That Loves You, and her 2024 single "Favorite," which earned her platinum certifications in multiple countries around the world.
But it’s with the release of her debut studio album, Raven, that LaRosa invites you even further into her twisted world of pop — where the familiar meets the curious, and every note invites you deeper to explore.
KP: To start on a completely superficial note, I love your eyebrow piercing. I’ve had fifteen or twenty piercings by now, but that was always the one I wanted the most, and my friend talked me out of getting it at the shop when I was like twenty-one. I never went back to do it and have regretted it ever since. When did you get yours? Did it hurt? I have so many, and my most painful – shockingly – were my cartilage piercings. Instant tears in my eyes every time. [Laughs].
IL: I've never been asked that before! I would say to 100% go do it. I don't know why your friend talked you out of it; that's crazy! It definitely did hurt – everyone said that it wasn't going to, but it did. I have all of my cartilage pierced, and I would say it's maybe comparable to a cartilage, if not a little bit more painful. But it was also just concerning because it's on your face, and I don't have any face piercings, but that's crazy. Go do it.
KP: I think one day I will!
Your music has skyrocketed in popularity online, totaling over a billion streams, which is staggering. I’m thirty-one, so I didn’t grow up in a culture of music virality through social media. Did you expect your tracks to blow up the way that they did? Do you think there is a winning formula to it, or is some luck involved?
IL: I think that there's both luck and a winning formula. I think that you can get as close as possible to something that could do really well, put the most thought into how you tease something, and what it sounds like, but there is definitely an element of timing and what's going on in the app. And there is absolutely an element of luck to it, but I think that I try to create my own luck.
The hope is that my songs always blow up, but I didn't ever expect it. I think there's some sense of blind confidence that I had because I thought, eventually, if I don't stop and I continue to try things, something's gotta work. But you can never really expect how things blow up or what actually does, so I can't say that I predicted that.
KP: It has to be daunting to put your work and creativity out there to the extent that it is on social media. How did you build the confidence to do so? Is there anything you think about in particular that helps lessen the anxiety?
IL: It definitely can be daunting to put your work out there. I think the first step for me was recognizing that the value of my work isn't determined by how others perceive it, but by the joy and fulfillment that I get from creating it. I try to remind myself that every person who resonates with my work is a person who is meant to connect with it. That mindset helps take the pressure off.
KP: I think that’s a great way of looking at it. We are the only people who can both give and take power away.
IL: One thing that I find helpful is setting boundaries. I take breaks when I need to and try not to constantly check for feedback, as that can often amplify feelings of insecurity. I also remind myself that social media is just a snapshot of one’s work and not the full story. Everyone’s journey is different, and comparison only creates more anxiety.
KP: Exactly. The thief of joy! What advice would you lend to women who wish to share their work on a wider scale but may be too anxious or shy to do so?
IL: For women who are anxious about sharing their work on a wider scale, I’d say to start small and take it one step at a time. The most important thing is to remember that your voice is unique and worth sharing. Don’t let fear of judgment hold you back – there will always be people who resonate with what you’re putting out there. And most importantly, trust in your creativity. The more you share, the more you’ll realize that your work has a place in the world, even if it feels scary at first.
KP: I think that’s great advice. If your work has affected even one person, then it’s served its purpose, right?
There’s a hotly contested debate today that surrounds “TikTok music,” which, to me, your tracks transcend – I think they can be much more than that. But as someone whose fanbase is so rooted in that community, what are your feelings about music being written today solely for success on social media platforms?
IL: I think that a good song is a good song, regardless of where it is. To be honest, in my opinion, it's hard to name a song that hasn't come from being big on TikTok. I, to some extent, have to train myself not to just think about TikTok, but I understand how it's easy to fall into it, because if something works, then you want to do it again. I think that it's so oversaturated, and you have to have all of the points in being an artist. You have to have a full sonic world that has to extend further than just TikTok, the visuals, and what you want to say. There are just so many things. I don't think that it solely revolves around TikTok; to be a massive, global artist, you have to focus on more than just one thing.
“I think that a good song is a good song, regardless of where it is.”
KP: You said that hearing Lana changed your life. I was eighteen and had just entered college when Born To Die first came out. I’ll never forget hearing that entire record for the first time. I saw her at Irving Plaza during that first tour here in New York City too, which was cool. What do you remember about the first time you heard Lana, and what are ways in which you feel she’s impacted your music, if at all?
And I have to ask – what’s your favorite track? I don’t know if I could choose, but the bridge of “Ride” is one of my favorites of any song of all time. I’m obsessed with the guitars on “Pretty When You Cry,” too.
IL: Those are amazing choices. I remember the first time I heard Lana. I think I was 13 – my brother played “Diet Mountain Dew” in the car, and I was like, “What is this?” I was instantly obsessed. I would say that “Diet Mountain Dew” is still my favorite Lana song.
She has such a unique sound – her vocals, lyrics, and visually – everything about her is so distinctive. I've really never seen anything like it before. She has absolutely impacted me as an artist.
I was very uncomfortable with femininity growing up; I was such a tomboy, and I think when I heard her music and saw her visuals, it made me want to be more comfortable with being feminine. I think that's a really cool thing. She absolutely still impacts me very much to this day.
KP: I felt the same when I heard her for the first time – it was like opening a portal to a whole other world. She’s one of the best.
You’ve spoken about often being labeled as alt but have said that you’re a “pop girl at [your] core.” I am, too, which shocks people every time they meet me. I’m a Top 40 junkie. What is it about pop that draws you to it personally?
IL: I just love the way that pop music is written, to be honest. There's a reason it's so popular. I love the structure of pop music. I think it's funny how people would always categorize me as left of center, which I am, but if you listen to my songs and play them on acoustic guitar, they're really just pop songs. So, I think what's fun for me is to take the writing of pop and the structure that I love so much and then place it in an alternative world, because that's my favorite music ever.
KP: Likewise! My playlists are always this completely disparate mix of super mainstream pop and then completely left-of-center or much more chaotic music. I can’t help it! [Laughs].
In 2022, you said that “creative control is always going to be super important to [you].” How do you manage to stay so strongly curated in terms of visuals and sound in an industry that’s always trying to change who you are?
IL: Those are good questions. I think I'm just really stubborn, and people have definitely tried to take away creative control from me, but I know what I want, and I know what I don't want. I cannot let go of that. It’s so important to me at my core as an artist – that is what I do it for. The one thing that I will not compromise on is creative control, especially when it comes to visuals and the writing process between my brother and me.
KP: You write your own tracks. Is there any lyric you’ve written that holds a particularly special meaning to you? Do you have a favorite lyric of anyone else’s?
IL: I have some lyrics that I'm really excited about as of recently. In “Home,” the second verse is one of my favorites because it's about my sister, and it means so much to me. The lines where I say, “To the boys that kiss her / You better fucking treat her well,” are some of my favorite lyrics that I've ever written.
Then a favorite lyric of somebody else's… “If We Were Vampires” by Jason Isbell and the 4400 Unit, the lyrics just blow me away. And “I Love You” by Billie Eilish is such a heartbreakingly beautiful song. Lyrically, it’s amazing.
KP: What’s the best advice that you’ve ever been given?
IL: A piece of advice that has stuck with me… My A&R told me that whenever you have these crazy good moments, take a snapshot and keep it with you, because you don't realize how much you forget over time. So as these crazy things are happening to you, don't ever take anything for granted.
KP: From experience, that’s great advice. Especially when you’re living such a fast life, the memories that you want to keep the most static can often become the most blurry.
What’s the best advice that you could give?
IL: I would just say that the only way out is through, and a lot of the time you have to go through things to learn – there is always the other side. If you ever feel like things are really, really difficult and you can't see another side, there’s always a point where it gets better. I think that gets me through a lot, knowing that if I'm going through something bad, there always will be the end to that bad thing.
KP: I love that so much. “The only way out is through” is one of my favorite sayings of all time.
What do you feel makes a provocative woman?
IL: I think it's just confidence, honestly. I think that you can look and act in any way, and if you do it with confidence and you completely own it, then that is a provocative woman, in my opinion. A woman who is not afraid to be bold and strong and who doesn’t make herself smaller for others – that is very intimidating to a lot of people. When I think of a provocative woman, that's what comes to mind.
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Photography: Sam Monendo
