A passionate and explosive genre-bending upheaval, ‘Flight Risk’ is just the latest track to cement Oscar Rose as one of the year’s most exciting emerging artists.
There is no denying the sincere TLC emanating out of Oscar Rose’s latest single, a pristine piece of contemporary R&B swelling with inner turmoil and ambition. Tender and groovy, ‘Flight Risk’ aches with emotionally-charged energy, polished licks, and smooth vocals that will move our feet and tug at our heartstrings in just the right way.
Released independently back in September, ‘Flight Risk’ arrives as Rose’s third offering of the year and the latest in an exhilarating string of irresistible releases that showcase his electrifying presence and singular artistry.
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Building on his skills for effortlessly partnering a melting pot of suave jazz, punchy trap/RnB and new-age ballads with his effortless and ever-changing flow and lyricism, ‘Flight Risk’ finds Oscar Rose dwelling in the depths of musical and emotional possibility.
Initially coming together in a Jacob Collier-esque fashion, ‘Flight Risk’ builds on the foundation set with Rose’s debut album back in February, beginning via sampling objects in his room, and blossoming into a full-length project from there.
“‘Flight Risk’ began in a pretty unorthodox manner, I started producing this by sampling random objects around my room for percussion and atmosphere, etc. As the majority of my content is self-produced, I’ve experimented with a lot of different ways to create a song,” he explains.
“Occasionally the lyrics will come first, other times I’ll find myself creating a melody or producing the beat first. No real rhyme or reason to it.”
Sounding more self-assured than ever, Rose melds smooth R&B and velvety grooves with fierce, energetic bars that detail past missteps, future desires and the ever-present dissension within his mind:
I feel it all the time / That pushing, pulling in my head / I dance with fire and ice / I need to blur them lines / I rest from four till five / Need not justify my high
“The song depicts the plight of living with mental health issues and relating said issues to a past flame of mine, conveyed with finesse using sexy, underwater synths, smooth vocals, and silky live strings to boot,” Rose explains.
“I began writing the lyrics around the end of the last lockdown here in Victoria. Mans was dealing with some stuff (like a lot of other people throughout the pandemic), and I was facing the demise of a relationship that meant a lot to me.
“I created ‘Flight Risk’ to speak on the way that I was feeling at the time, in hope that it would find its way to listeners that could relate.”
With his skills for songwriting and production placed front and centre (being written, produced and mixed at his own hands), Oscar Rose taps into a hearty sweet spot that helps ‘Flight Risk’ soar. With lush mid-tempo production, swirling synths and smooth, honeyed vocals, the personally-driven track is just slow enough to feel brooding and just quick enough to inspire: bringing themes of mental health to the fore. In essence, ‘Flight Risk’ is a body-moving and intriguing assertion of self-awareness. It’s all about Rose owning his internal battle, and taking it in his stride.
Born and bred in Geelong, Rose has been actively pursuing music for years now, performing with Geelong’s prestigious and beloved Piano Bar Group (check out the bar on weekend for a taste of his roots) – but it’s through his latest incarnation as Oscar Rose, that the musician has found himself on the precipice of something special, unequivocal, and unique to himself.
With his infectious personality and skill for confessional songwriting, Rose’s art transcends genre, blending worlds of sound to create a distinctive palette where Jazz, R&B, Hip-Hop, Trap, Alternative Pop and more coalesce to vivid effect.
“I love the lack of boundaries. With music, you’re free to create whatever your mind desires, there are literally limitless sounds to be created.”
Affirming the artist’s continued rise in 2022, ‘Flight Risk’ comes off the back of his debut album ‘Saigon, Signing Off’, released in February this year. Full of genre-bending, sonic surprises, thoughtful lyricism and melancholy narratives, the debut truly showed us the deepest depths of his mind and creativity, offering a futuristic record with virtually flawless production that lingers on the mind long after the final track.
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‘Flight Risk’ also follows ‘Moonlight Tan’, a beautiful addition to Rose’s discography that sees him returning to his piano roots, created from over 100 hours of in-studio time – recording, engineering and mixing.
“‘Moonlight Tan’ is a track dedicated to a part-time lover and an absence of stress. Featuring a variety of talented musicians (including a string quartet from the MSO), it was such a mental feeling to watch this come together.
“I wrote the chords, string parts and lyrics myself but I couldn’t have produced this without the musical mastery of Jaron Jay – a very prominent Geelong musician who took this project under his wing. I highly encourage any fans of funky, vibrant music to check him out on Spotify.”
Tender, stirring, and stunningly soulful, ‘Moonlight Tan’ is just another example of Rose’s versatile skill for creating enchanting dreamy, smouldering serenades that light a fire deep inside.
His approach to music is innovative and certainly commendable. He refuses to be hemmed in by the limits of genre and sets a high bar musically and lyrically, and as a consequence manages to craft detailed and unique soundscapes, cementing his position as one of the most important musicians today.
“I never know what type of music imma create next. I like to keep my audience on their toes. However, I can promise that I’ll always continue to work with live instruments and quality musicians, as I reckon there are certain characteristics of analogue instruments that will never be replicated by synths and plugins.”
‘Flight Risk’ is personal and heavy, but it’s also a well-produced, RnB-infused slow jam that will evoke a sway out of even the least rhythmically inclined, and is just a mere taste of what else he has for us in the next couple of months.
“I’ve got some prime rib currently char-grillin, ready to serve up to the masses in November. The next release will be a self-produced, dual-sided single. Experimental RnB is the closest genre I can nail the project down to. Super unique, very catchy and vibey – hopefully y’all will get around it when it drops. Will have some other music dropping via SoundCloud before the end of the year, too.
“With a bit of luck, I will have closed out my first year of releasing music with 20 official self-produced releases.”
Oscar Rose has exploded in 2022 with electrifying charisma and an undeniably fresh, irresistible sound, going on to perform live almost every weekend and collaborate with like-minded artists in the Geelong music scene. Consistently slick in all areas of his aesthetic, his new music affirms his status as an artist-to-watch, and with that many high-quality self-produced releases already to his name, we cannot wait to see what comes next.
