Nova Rose Embraces Anxiety and Heartbreak with “Just in Case” [Q&A].
Interviewed by: Sarah Evangelista
Formerly known as Nōva, this Montreal based artist started to play music at a young age, and has been releasing singles for a few years now. Starting with “More”, collaborating with CRWN on “Am I the Only One”, “Heavy Hitters”, and now releasing “Just in Case”, her music focuses on topics like living life, heartbreak, and anxiety. Read my interview with Nova Rose below.
Your stage name used to be Nōva, but is now Nova Rose, what inspired the change?
When I first started music, I was never confident enough to get up on stage and sing the way I wanted to sing. So when I decided to start releasing music, I felt as though I needed a mask to hide my true self in order not to get hurt. As the years went on and I became more comfortable with who I was, my mask that I had created, slowly started melting away. I was showing the world who I was, something I had always been too afraid to afraid to do. But, that mask also know as “Nōva” quickly became a part of my identity and I have grown a sentimental relationship to this character created by my 17 year old self. However, I don’t feel whole, there’s a part missing. I want to be honest with my music & my fans without losing that new part of myself that I had created. My mother has pushed me so much to pursue my dream and I am lucky enough to share her name as my middle name; Rose. My full name is Emily Rose, but in the past few years, Emily Rose aka Nōva has been who I am. I thought why not merge the two so that I identify completely with who I am both as an artist and as an individual.
“Just in Case” is the name of your new single, what’s the song about?
The song touches on a lot of subject! Mainly anxiety and dating in the 21st century. “With everything happening in the world today, the goal was to capture the turbulence in the minds and the hearts of a generation unprepared for the harsh realities of 21st century dating and modern-day love stories. It also explores the feeling of anxiety, when you are dealing with insecurities within a relationship (whether that be romantic or platonic).”
What’s your favourite lyric from the song, and why?
‘I keep drinking these vodka sodas, I can lie and say I’m sober’ - I just relate to that so much and have done that maybe too many times !