Dark, moody, unapologetic: Esme Rose’s latest EP x3 feels like a midnight ritual performed in your living room,

a bold statement from an artist who’s quietly become one of the most electrifying voices in modern witch-pop. Over seven tracks and 22 minutes, the independent powerhouse proves that pop can be both seductive and sinister, anthemic and intimate.

Opening with “Devil’s Gonna Set Me Free,” Rose immediately stakes her claim. This isn’t radio-ready sugar; it’s a statement. Thunderous percussion meets jagged guitars, and her voice, equal parts fierce and otherworldly, commands attention. Lyrically, it’s a declaration of liberation from the past, a cleansing fire set to music. You don’t just press play; you step into a world Rose has conjured, where empowerment and darkness coexist beautifully.

“I’m That Witch” doubles down on that ethos. Equal parts manifesto and incantation, it’s a track that demands movement, both physical and spiritual. Esme’s voice prowls with confidence, snarling over a frantic tempo, each lyric dripping with audacity: to be marginalized, feared, and yet utterly in control. Witch-pop has become a buzzword in recent years, but Rose transcends it; she owns it and turns it into something raw and exhilarating.

The EP’s middle section, featuring “Ain’t No Heaven For a Girl Like Me” and “Karma’s A Bitch, Boy,” showcases her duality. Vulnerability meets vengeance. The former is confessional, the kind of track that whispers secrets into the night, exposing scars with a bracing honesty. The latter is a feral bite, playful, savage, and endlessly satisfying, as Rose reminds anyone who doubts her that karma waits for no one. The contrast is masterful, cementing her as a storyteller with range: she can seduce, scold, and summon your attention in equal measure.

“As It Is Willed” slows the pace, introducing a hypnotic moment of calm amid the storm. It’s contemplative, almost meditative, a pause in the ritual to reflect on intention and consequence. The song feels like the middle of a spell, the moment you center yourself before the magic takes full effect.

Then comes “123,” a rhythmic reminder that what you give is what you get. It’s taut, propulsive, and sharp, balancing morality tale with danceable grooves. The chorus lingers, an axiomatic incantation of accountability, while the production keeps you hooked without ever pandering to conventional pop formulas.

Finally, “Kick Drum” closes x3 with the sonic equivalent of a closing ritual. The pounding beats and layered textures leave the listener breathless, heart racing, and undeniably bewitched. It’s a fitting finale: the perfect intersection of energy, attitude, and theatricality.

What makes x3 remarkable isn’t just its dark aesthetic; it’s the conviction Rose brings to it.

Witch-pop and empowerment anthems are crowded genres, yet few artists can combine theatricality, attitude, and authentic emotion in the way she does. Every track here feels purposeful, each lyric deliberate, each arrangement meticulously crafted to evoke both power and mystery.

By the time the final kick drum fades, it’s clear that Esme Rose is not merely creating music; she’s constructing a world. One that is moody, confrontational, and electrifyingly alive. x3 isn’t just an EP, it’s a ritual, a statement, a spell. And like all the best spells, it leaves you changed once it’s over.

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