Returning with an expansive new single, “Role Model,” Rumia takes an emotional clarity and elegance that is nothing short of captivating. The track marks a new era in her continuously changing artistry.
“Role Model” enfolds the listener in a soft atmospheric cocoon. Airy guitar melodies flap in the wind like pages from a book, held up by a buoyant yet morose production that provides the track’s pulse. It’s a sound that’s expansive, pulling you into a room that’s reflective yet never goes out of reach. She sings from the tender edge of realization, the moment when awe tilts into disenchantment. It is an elegy for illusions we hold in life, love, family, and friends, and a soft anthem for getting through it all and growing on the road. Rumia does not provide bitterness. She gives grace. There’s a subtle authority in her delivery of each lyric, in a voice that doesn’t require to be heard but demands to be felt.
Rumia not only deepens her sound, she’s not here to chase trends. She’s paving her own road, one emotionally prickling track at a time. “Role Model” is a kind of progress and a moment of pause, an invitation to reflect, release, and rebuild. Stream it, absorb it, and don’t be surprised if you find yourself hitting replay before the final chord fades out.