Montreal-born singer December Rose released her self-titled debut EP Aug. 21 in an effort to make a name for herself in the pop and dance music world.
The 22-year-old released her six song EP which includes the songs "BallGame" and "Came Here to Party," the second of which was released as a single as well as a remixed version in 2014 before coming out on the album.
Rose says she was heavily inspired by pop and jazz, two influences that can be heard in the song "Without You," in which the singer’s jazzy vocals could be compared to that of Amy Winehouse. The slower song has a romantic feel to it, especially with the lyrics, “Pain was crippling the days were dull/I couldn’t see what was right in front of me/but then you came around and you turned it all around.”
According to her biography, Rose first built a following in 2010 when she began uploading videos to YouTube showcasing her singing and piano skills. In 2012 she posted several of her original songs including "Don’t Give Up On Love," which won the artist the best Female Solo Artist prize on MakeAStar.com. That win caught the attention of Invitation Records’ A&R executive Gianni Tiru. Invitation Records then made December Rose their first signing.
Besides releasing music, Rose says she is, “determined to make a positive impact on the world, she believes being in touch with her values and positive impact on the world, she believes in being in touch with her values and purpose in life helps make stronger connections and inspires her fans to stand up and express themselves freely.”
Rose shows emotion on most of her songs, with the only “party” song coming from "Came Here to Party," which seems to be advertised as a club-hit, which is exactly what it sounds like. The song appears twice on the album with one being a “club mix,” which just seemed to be unnecessary with the original version of the song already being upbeat enough to be played in clubs. The only major difference between the two was a bit more background music in the remixed version.
The singer showed her range and vocal abilities on December Rose, but still has a ways to go with her lyrics and songwriting before she will be able to compete with some of the pop queens in the music industry.