On her beautifully dramatic debut EP ‘Rosey,’ Sheffield artist Precious Pepala strips toxic relationships down to their ugliest – and most addictive – emotions.

Stream: “Rosey” – Precious Pepala

“Some people might hear these songs and think I’m crazy or toxic,” says Precious Pepala.

“Which… maybe I am. But I think if people are honest, they’ve either been like Rosey or known someone like her.”

That’s basically the entire idea behind Rosey, Pepala’s debut EP – a project that follows a relationship slipping from infatuation into obsession and self-destruction. Instead of trying to clean up those feelings or turn them into pretty little heartbreak songs, Pepala dances with the uncomfortable parts: Jealousy, attachment, manipulation and the grimacing moments where you know something is falling apart but you still can’t let go of it.

Rosey - Precious Pepala — Rosey – Precious Pepala

Rosey isn’t exactly a real person, but she isn’t completely fictional either.

“A lot of her comes from me,” Pepala says. “Writing through her made it easier to say certain things.”

The whole concept actually came together by accident. Pepala was in the car with her manager on the way to a Billie Eilish concert when they realized a few songs they’d already written were circling the same toxic relationship dynamic.

“We kind of realized there was already this story forming without us planning it,” she says. “So we just leaned into it.”

After that, the EP stopped being just a bunch of random singles and turned into a full story about how relationships heat up, fall apart and leave a mess in their wake.

Precious Pepala ‘Rosey’ © Jamie Carmichael

Even when the stories feel dramatic, Pepala says the emotions underneath them are very real.

“Breakups, jealousy, attachment – those are all really universal feelings,” she says. “Even though Rosey’s technically a character, I think people will probably recognize parts of her in themselves or somebody they know.”

That emotional messiness runs through the whole project. “Love Bombs,” which picked up support from BBC Radio 1, digs into manipulation and feeling frayed, while songs like “The After” and “Rosey” feel like trying to figure out what went wrong and deconstructing the collapse.

Pepala says she’s always naturally gravitated toward darker subject matter. “My music has always lived in those more emotional spaces. That’s where I tend to write from naturally.”

Still, Rosey feels noticeably more focused than her earlier releases.

“I can hear how much my voice has changed compared to my older stuff,” she says. “I pushed myself a lot more in the studio on this one.”

This project is the result of years of touring and writing sessions, plus a lot of time spent winning over crowds for Nova Twins and ALT BLK ERA.

**But Pepala doesn’t talk about Rosey like it’s some big dramatic “statement” record.**

The way she describes it, it sounds more like documenting a messy period of her life in real time and figuring things out song by song as she went.

“I’ve grown up a lot since my last EP,” she says. “And I think the music has just followed that.”

Pepala introduces us to Rosey song by song, from that initial spark to the messy crash once it all falls apart.

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:: stream/purchase Rosey here ::

:: connect with Precious Pepala here ::

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Stream: ‘Rosey’ – Precious Pepala

:: Inside Rosey ::

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“Dream Cheater”

Atwood Magazine: This is the first time most people are meeting Rosey. What impression do you want her to make? Did making this feel more like therapy or just pure storytelling?

Precious Pepala: “Dream Cheater” is the point in the story where Rosey is deeply in love but also deeply insecure. Her fear of losing her new lover is manifesting as paranoia and she is having dreams of him cheating. This song shows the slightly unhinged and jealous side of Rosey and if I’m being honest I’ve been guilty of those same traits before.

“Love Bombs”

When you hear this song back now, does it still hit the same way? Do you think people realize when they’re being love bombed or only after?

Precious Pepala: ⁠Usually when I release a song I’ve already spent all of my emotion and energy whilst writing and recording it so I feel somewhat numb to it by the time the world hears it but this one was different. I still feel it now. I’m really proud of how much emotion I managed to squeeze into the vocals but it also wasn’t intentional which kinda shows came from a raw and honest place.

“Too Good To Die”

This one’s intense! What energy were you channeling in the studio? Is this a late-night feelings kind of song for you?

Precious Pepala: When we wrote it I remember visualizing an attractive but toxic pair of lovers who were no good for each other, but looked great together, driving through the hills of California on their way to a party.

“Rosey”

Was it hard stepping into the role of the “concerned friend” instead of being in the situation? Did anyone in your life inspire that perspective?

Precious Pepala: There’s definitely been times where I’ve stood by and maybe not had the guts to tell a friend that I think they’re dating a red flag. Naming no names! It’s much easier to deliver a message through a song rather than in real life. I’d like to think if I found myself in that situation again I’d be more ballsy and call someone out if I thought they were making a bad decision!

“The After”

When you finished this track, did it feel like the end of a chapter for you? What do you hope listeners take away from this song, and feel about Rosey, the story?

Precious Pepala: “The After” felt like a true embodiment of the EP and a perfect ending to a romantic but ultimately tragic story. I think it shows how illogical and everlasting love can be. She follows her heart and her lover despite the whole universe being against them.

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