Every so often, I find an artist to absolutely fangirl over for a bit. Anything can set it off; a breakup, bad mood, full moon… who knows anymore. All I know is that ROLE MODEL is that artist for me right now.

It all started when I heard his 2023 single, “a little more time,” a couple weeks ago. It’s sad but happy. An uplifting love song that will for some reason have you in tears. I must have been going through it when I listened because I put it on repeat and zoned out for like twenty minutes.

“a little more time” is sweet and vulnerable and will undoubtedly be on my Spotify Wrapped. It’s weird though, because it’s the opposite of what I usually listen to. Whether it was my Travis Scott and Lil Uzi Vert obsessions in 2016 or the high school emo phase I actively forget, I’ve always liked songs with a lot going on. I like my music overstimulating, and ROLE MODEL’s stripped-back style with mellow instruments and vocals is far from that.

He might be outside of my usual taste, but he’s different, and that’s why I like him. He says and does whatever he wants, is part of one of the internet’s most adored couples, and dropped “masturbation song.” I can’t imagine what my mom would say about that title, so to me, it’s brave. The honesty he puts into his work and online presence makes him feel real and relatable to listeners.

Aside from some goofy writing in early releases, ROLE MODEL has bars too. And this is coming from a lyrics guy. Part of the reason I became an artist is because I would listen to the words in songs and think to myself, “I could do better.” But when I listen to some of ROLE MODEL’s songwriting, I’m like yeah I can’t do that. He kills a hook, either with clever writing or catchy melodies that get stuck in the head of every girl aged 18-24. 

I’ll admit though, I didn’t like him at first. When I started hearing his name a couple years ago, it was mainly from pretty girls, so naturally I was jealous. I “didn’t like” ROLE MODEL in the same way I “didn’t like” Justin Bieber when I was 13. But the tides turned one day. One glorious morning, I learned ROLE MODEL was in a committed relationship. The threat was gone; I could now actually give his music a chance. I imagine this is how every girl felt when Megan Fox got engaged, or how Americans felt after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Too far.

Anyways, ROLE MODEL has grown on me and honestly, I think we’d get along well. I’ve had his discography on repeat all week, and even if this phase ends soon, I’m sure a bad day or breakup down the line will pull me right back in.

‍