Rose Fall – I’m The Black Sheep (2022)
We all face expectations from friends and family, but they don’t always align with what we actually want. This is something that Rose Fall pulls into her single ‘I’m the Black Sheep’. A finely crafted internal dialogue, the single looks at trying to make peace with these expectations even when they don’t match your own values and personal goals.
Her first non-English single, the movement of Senegalese music is wrapped around sentiments that are so universal they easily transcend any language barriers. Using a minimalist pop sound, she brings the singularity and conflict that marked her early years. As part of the DIY musical generation, she recorded the vocals for the track herself before working with a producer virtually to complete the sound.
The melody of ‘I’m the Black Sheep’ pulses through your sense with a thrumming tone that easily gets your feet tapping to the rhythm. While there is a minimalistic pop feeling to the melody, it is moving in its flow. The beat tumbles through your senses getting your tapping and swaying to the rhythm. There are these swings in the music that takes you from that tapping beat to a breezy sway. This is really wonderfully crafted to get you into the single while letting the vocals really take centre stage. Close to the end of the single, the music changes again to send you off into the world on an undulating note.
Fall’s vocals grab your attention before the melody even hits. While the vocals are in Wolof, there is a sincerity in her performance that transcends the language barrier. You can feel the pressures of expectations and the uncertainty of going against them to achieve the goals and values you hold dear. Through all of this, you can feel the connection she has with the people who hold the expectations. This single is so unlike anything else you might be listening to while deeply emotive even without knowing the language. The backing vocals warp past you while Fall’s vocals captivate your senses. While there is a conflicting feeling at times, the single does fill you with the knowledge that you are not alone in fighting against expectations and that there is light through it all.
Rose Fall transcends language barriers with her sincere emotional performance in ‘I’m the Black Sheep’ against a minimalist pop melody. The music has you tapping and swaying to its flows while letting the vocals really stand out. While the lyrics are in Wolof, Fall’s performance brings the emotions of the track to life.
Find out more about Rose Fall on her Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
