Let’s admit it: Valentine’s Day is cringe. It’s stressful. It is expensive. It is a lot of pressure to have the perfect dinner, with the perfect date, and have the perfect romantic night afterward. And heaven help you if you’re single. The shame and societal demand to find your “Valentine” every February 14 might lead people to couple up with some bad decisions, aka those “Do Not Call Them Ever Again” numbers. Enter Madison Rose, who distills all that frustration, pressure, and temptation into “Better Off Alone.” In less than three minutes, this rising music superstar captures all the feelings single folks go through during this holiday.
“‘Better Off Alone’ is the emancipation of me from my toxic relationship!” she tells HollywoodLife. “It’s about knowing my worth and standing for that even if it leads to being on my own and going through that subsequent healing process. My inspiration came when I was still tangled up in the relationship but knew I needed to get out, and often times I think I write songs that foreshadow my next moves in life or maybe even help me manifest them. I wrote this song to describe what it would be like when I finally left and when I did – it felt exactly as I described. There was pain, there was joy and pain again, but ultimately I am in the best place of my life because I left and created the life I wanted and deserved and set myself free from that negative energy.”
“Better Off Alone” marks Madison’s first single of 2022, and it continues the momentum she built up during the previous year. 2021 saw the singer release a trio of songs. The first, “Sunshine,” a piece came with a cautionary tale of how a “head of a record label” warned her that if released it by herself, it would be a “complete sh-t shit.’ Madison spoke out against those in the music industry who “try to tell you who you are and what you are capable of. I want to be a testament for going your own way and making things happen for yourself even when all the doors seem to close!”
After showering her fans with some “Sunshine,” Madison then “Lost My Mind To The DJ,” about “how good it feels to be alive,” and how when the DJ is busy doing their thing, it feels like “we’ll never die.” She ended 2021 with a song that will be in rotation at dance clubs, ballrooms, and drag bars until the end of time: “Iconic.” Name checking Tyra, Linda Evangelista, and Madonna, the song is meant for motion.
Madison’s come a long way since her 2018 debut, “DIAMONDS,” but even back then, she made her missions clear: creating a better pop landscape where everyone is invited, respected, and celebrated. “It’s important to create space where people feel safe and where our differences are laid down,” she told Billboard three years ago. “It is my goal to make the world feel how I never felt growing up: important, deeply cared for, and loved. All my music coming out is to inspire others to be free and to be themselves.” And, for those who need a little self-love on this Valentine’s Day, she’s got your back, too.
Though, fans won’t be left brokenhearted for long. “More music is on the way, and I’m ecstatic,” she tells HollywoodLife. “Every song peeks more into my world, and it’s been thrilling to watch my listeners experience every new shade of who I am as an artist. And I am so excited that we’re getting live shows back, baby!! I hope to be hopping around to cities all over, and that’s the best. Live shows are my favorite.”