EP – Downtown Magazine

Photos and feature by Alice Teeple

Welcome to Greytopia, the newest single from alt-pop songstress Karolina Rose. It is a danceable shout out to those clinging to self-help books and crystals, searching in vain for the path back to Source. Karolina Rose paints a beautiful vision of an idealistic planet: a world free from judgement, condemnation, and the roadblocks to our dreams.

‘The internet here only has positive news, fangirls and boys are lounging, exposing their tattoos.”

Imagine no disappointment, no guilt…no vicious commentary. In Greytopia, everyone is special. Everyone is free to do as they please, and manifest all they desire. And yet…despite the relentless messages of positivity, one can’t help but feel that blue note of melancholy throughout the track.

“It’s written with a little bit of irony. It seems like everything is rosy, but in reality we’re simply accepting what’s happening,” the alt-pop songwriter explains. “In Greytopia, everything we feel along the spectrum is acceptable. Black and white is blended into grey. We glide through Greytopia to pursue our highest self. It’s a bit idealistic from that standpoint.”

Karolina Rose takes cues from the pulsing synths of Depeche Mode, the lush vocal stylings of Florence and the Machine, and the wry, sociopolitical commentary of the Pet Shop Boys. Greytopia, written and produced with Elliot Jacobsen (Elle King, Allie X), is a dance-pop triumph.

Karolina Rose Opens The Gates To Greytopia

Fresh off a summer European tour and a brief stop in NYC, Rose is currently writing new music in Los Angeles through autumn. She plans to head back to Europe for her next project. It is evident that her European adventures and Polish-American roots have made a mark on her unique sound. This is clever pop crafted through the sharp observations of a world citizen.

Not one for penning cliché pop rhymes, Karolina Rose’s lyrics occasionally border on the psychedelic:

“Haters from Earth are waiters

It’s always sunny, the post is run by bunnies

Marble message on the wall

We wash our hair with crushed flowers”

Where is THAT planet?

The rose-colored video for Greytopia depicts a delightful romp through a lush landscape, making us long for its freedom and beauty. But look more closely, and you realize Rose is actually marching through this bucolic wonderland in a stylized uniform. It is a jolly nod at old Soviet propaganda promising unified peace and prosperity to a disaffected populace…with a modern Law of Attraction twist.

“Greytopia is the Communism of dreams,” she quips, “where people forever march toward their highest selves.”

Karolina Rose raises an important question with this artistic metaphor. We often rue those opportunities deprived through capitalism, politics, religion, and cultural expectations. Would the highs of victory be so sweet if success, adoration, manifestation and unconditional support were equally granted to everyone on the planet? Does the difficult Earth experience ultimately serve the ultimate purpose of gratitude? Perhaps it is the struggle itself that propels the Law of Attraction after all.

Food for thought.

Blare this banger loud and proud, and follow your dreams.

Greytopia is available on all platforms and will be featured on her upcoming EP, Rosemary, due in 2020.

Greytopia video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8EfSatzaZI

Official Site

https://www.karolinarose.com/

By Alice Teeple

Photos by Alice Teeple

There is a tour de force coming straight out of Bed-Stuy, usually seen with some giant french fries dangling from her ears.

Her name is Miss Eaves. You may have read about her in the New York Times, Jezebel, or Glamour…or perhaps one of your friends sent you a link to her 2017 viral video Thunder Thighs, a balls-out anthem to body positivity that captivated over two million people.

Miss Eaves is a vivid onstage treasure. There is nothing precious about her performances. In a society hell-bent on silence and censorship in the name of propriety, Miss Eaves lets it all hang out in a stream of unfettered truths.

Her shows are a potent mix of John Waters, Amy Sedaris, and Missy Elliott. She is shocking, blunt, and funny as hell. She also isn’t shy on stage, playfully confronting her audience, calling out bad behavior and celebrating the good stuff of being human.

Despite her comical joie de vivre delivery, Miss Eaves still wields the power to shock…and she has a lot to discuss. Ghosters, manchildren, masturbation and the absurdity of self-hatred are all fair game for this modern-day Puck. From Fuccboi Salute, an anthem for the Tinder Generation, to Thunder Thighs, a bop about being comfortable in your skin, her raps resonate with anyone striking out with romance and true connection.

Miss Eaves recently dropped a new EP, called sad, written during the throes of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Since the album release, Miss Eaves spent this summer globetrotting all over Europe, Canada, and the US. Her April show at the Bowery Electric in NYC was a mix of uproarious laughter and, with the merry announcement of Bush For The Push, a song about pubic hair grooming…the shifty discomfort of your grade 4 sex-ed class.

“Don’t tell me I’m too hairy to eat

‘Cause I’m all natural: Bon Appetit!

In addition to her eight-year career as a feminist rapper, Miss Eaves’ alter-ego, Shanthony Exum, is an accomplished multimedia artist. She is also proudly DIY, self-funding her projects and occasionally collaborating with other talented artists and designers. She is particularly supportive of small businesses, particularly those that are queer-owned.

Miss Eaves recently released a video for Left Swipe Left, describing the depressing nature of Tinder dating. It will undoubtedly have you chanting along during your next attempt at online love….but “it’s ok, tho’.”

Eaves recently took her creative design sense to the streets with a clever guerrilla marketing campaign. Xeroxed street flyers of Eaves trapped in a cardboard Tinder world with the frantic heading “DATE ME! PLEAAAASE!” appeared in Manhattan and Brooklyn, complete with pull-off tabs linking to the video. Eaves hung them herself, documenting the results on her Facebook feed.

sad is now available on all streaming platforms. Get that plate of cheese and chocolate out and play this jam loud. You’re gonna be fine and she’ll tell you why.