Thornton alumna embarks upon promising solo pop career

If you don’t know Rosalind Crane, the newest, soulful singer on the pop scene, it’s time to become acquainted with her soothing, laid-back sound. Crane, who performs under the stage name Rozzi, is a Los Angeles-based songstress and USC Thornton alumna who just released a new single, “Never Over You,” this past Friday, replete with relatable lyrics and emotional, moving production.

Rozzi said the song was a vivid description of her state of mind at the time.

“[The song] really fits within this storyline, it captures a moment of living,” she said. “I was in a fight with my boyfriend, and I was over the relationship, but not over him.”

Rozzi, a rising star in the industry, is signed to Columbia Records, which has worked with A-list musicians such as Adam Levine. She described her new music as songs that relate to the theme of “coming of age,” and added that “I would say [my music] is very personal, emotional and soulful.”

Rozzi said her talent and passion for music began at a very young age, growing up with a range of musical influences from Bjork to Beyoncé. Rozzi said she knew she wanted to be a musician after she sang a Jewel song at her first grade talent show.

“I sat down on the bleachers after I did my song, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” she said.

She enrolled in the Popular Music program at Thornton in 2009. After Levine heard a song she wrote with a classmate, he emailed her about a record deal. Eventually, one thing led to another, and before long she was touring the world opening for Maroon 5. She released two EPs, “Space” and “Time,” in 2015, and is now currently in the process of finishing up her first LP set for release later this year.

Rozzi said she wrote over 250 songs before choosing the tracklist for her debut full-length album, seeking to create the most honest possible depiction of her life.

“The biggest difference between making this album and the last two EPs is that I was really growing as a person when writing these new songs. I also wrote a lot more,” Rozzi said. “It was a process of really making sure that I made the music that sounded like me.”

In order to accomplish this, Rozzi said she had to experience a lot of personal growth. After transitioning to a new label, she pushed herself to reach her full artistic potential, listening to “the voice in [her] head” that said there is more to her creative ability than she had discovered thus far.

“I lived out loud, going from singer to artist and girl to woman,” she said. Now, she hopes her upcoming album will reflect this major change in her life and career.