Rosie Ayala had big plans of releasing a new album this summer, details of which she shared at the end of the 2023 academic year. The album “OUTLAW” was released on July 8, when she was back home in New Orleans working with her twin and producer, Maxii Ayala.
“Getting back home, I was so excited to start recording, and it’s always a blast with my twin Maxii,” said Ayala “She’s my mixer, producer, manager and literally the only reason why I could be doing this.”
The EP consists of six songs and is a total of 21 minutes, her longest album to date. Ayala has released six singles available on Spotify and Apple Music along with another full album called “Mixed Emotions,” which was released in December 2022, while she was home over winter break.
The album is a melancholy reflection on aspects of Ayala’s life and an overall exploration and expression of her emotions. Ayala’s music doesn’t fit into any one genre. She has previously described it as being experimental, but described this album as an “eerie R&B mix with sensual undertone and confusion.”
“Outlaw” is made up of generally tranquil beats that highlight Ayala’s vocal range and capacity for emotional expression in her lyrics. In comparison to ‘Mixed Emotions’ which is a much more upbeat album that would fit a nightclub setting, “Outlaw” is the kind of album that, in Ayala’s words, would fit the vibe of “walking the streets at night with a million things running through your mind and an empty bottle in your hand.”
The album is an empowering yet vulnerable internal reflection of the physical, social and emotional adversities and prosperities that come with young adulthood. Ayala expresses her own autonomy and continually reflects on her own desires and internal conflicts with lyrics that seem to emphasize the need to be supportive of yourself and your needs, despite how complex this is.
Ayala’s talents don’t stop at lyrical creativity, vocal capacity and empowering individuality. She is a visual artist as well, the album cover for “Outlaw” a culmination of months of doodling, planning and painting.
The painting’s complex imagery reflects different aspects of the album, too dense and storied to break down without another few pages.
“[The album reflects] not knowing who you really are, betrayal, heartbreak, turning to substances, unhealthy habits, saying fuck the world, going crazy and even falling in love. It’s a bit all over the place, but I kinda wanted it that way,” Ayala said.
Now the moment we’ve all been waiting for: a little interpretation and review of each song in the album, in order.
“Who Knows?”
This song starts slow and calm but builds into a critique of the authenticity of herself and the people around her with the repeating lyric “losing faith in humankind, I’m racing, chasing dreams of mine.” This song does a good job of setting the tone for the album and encouraging listeners to focus on their own emotions rather than put them aside in the interests of those around them. Rosie’s artistic ad-libs at the end of the song allow for some internal reflection and for listeners to truly feel the words she sang earlier in the song.
“Enemies to Lovers”
The second song in the album is much more intimate and provocative than the first, reflecting on toxic relationships and the duality of loving and hating someone at the same time. “It’s as if you can hardly breathe when they are hurting you, but [they] are also the one that gives you life,” said Ayala.
“Summer’s Ballad”
The smooth, warm start to this song is beautiful foreshadowing to the insecurity and passion Ayala expresses regarding relationships and love. The lyric: “Whisper into my ear/ Tell me that you love me/ Tell me that you’ll always be here/ I need to hear it/ I need to feel it” shows the vulnerability Ayala is allowing herself in this song, emphasizing that love must be mutually expressed. This is one of the highlights on the album because it expresses the duality of love and showcases Ayala’s raw vocal talent.
“FUCKED UP”
This song reflects on substance use and the use of toxic habits as coping mechanisms. Use of alcohol and other substances can bring out all kinds of emotions and can result in negative yet formative experiences, a theme repeated in lyrics like: “as if you know you’re falling down that hole again but doing nothing to stop it.”
“guess this is goodbye.”
My personal favorite song in the album, and perhaps of all of Ayala’s music, reflects on heartbreak and letting go of connections from the past in your own best interests. “When you realize you aren’t good for someone and having to make those decisions, letting go is the hardest part,” said Ayala.
“Eyes”
The longest song of the album pulls it all together with a strong beat and raw, honest lyrics that reflect on insecurity, bad habits and confusion on your path in life. This song includes themes from the other songs about interpersonal relationships and individual challenges; “I need a drink, something to save me, my god I’m fucking crazy,” Ayala sings.
