5 out of 5 stars
If you’re anything like me and your “for you” page is covered in videos of ranchers and line dances, then you’ve probably heard of Gabriella Rose.
Rose recently skyrocketed to TikTok fame when a snippet of her song “Doublewide” went so viral that the very high-end boot brand Lucchese gifted her a pair of cowboy boots. Capitalizing on her internet fame, Rose promised to release “Doublewide” the week after it blew up. What she didn’t say was that four other songs were being released with it.
With a surprise EP drop on Dec. 4, Gabriella Rose has cemented her status as an up-and-coming country star. Her EP “Wait Till I Get My Money Up” consists of five songs with a total running time of 13 minutes. A good country song tells a story, and each of the five songs in the EP are narrative powerhouses. I should know, I’ve listened to them all about 17 times.
Rose starts the EP off with “Doublewide,” the song that propelled her to fame. Although I was worried that the rush to release the song would result in a lower-quality piece, my fears were unfounded. “Doublewide” is unapologetically Rose. The lyrics establish her as a genuine redneck star while the steady beat keeps people toe-tapping the floor. In the chorus she sings, “I have more redneck inside my blood than DNA,” and I fully believe her.
The second song on the EP, “Revival,” has the most compelling narrative of the five. It tells the story of a girl living with an alcoholic father whose only refuge is her faith. The song is reminiscent of old southern gospel music with a darker twist. When Rose sings the chorus and pleads for divine rescue, the pain in her voice is apparent.
The next track, “Untitled,” captures a girl’s desire to get out of her dead-end town. Though Roses’ song is gloomy, her acoustic guitar plays mostly major chords to lighten the tune of her sad tale. As the track only runs for one minute and 47 seconds, “Untitled” almost seems like a lead up to the next song on the EP.
And the next song is my favorite one on the EP. “Mississippi Mama” tells the story of a “buckle bunny,” or a girl with a reputation for trying to get out of a desperate situation by traveling to rodeos to date winning cowboys. With only her guitar and her voice, Rose paints vivid pictures that place the listener right in the middle of the action of first a rodeo, then a honky-tonk.
The final song on the EP happens to be the title track. “Wait Till I Get My Money Up” is the perfect song for anyone with an ex, especially one who claimed to be a cowboy. I enjoyed the line where she tells her ex that he’s “6’ 2’’ and still acting like [he] ain’t grown.”
Nashville should take notice of the newest country singer with Luccheses on her feet. If I was walking down Broadway and heard her sing, Rose would make me stop in my tracks. So put your boots on and get ready for a revival because when Gabriella Rose sings, it’s authentic.
P.S. Lucchese, if you’re reading this, I wear a women’s nine in boots.
Photo courtesy of Holler County.