Equal parts cool girl and the girl next door, Sam DeRosa is the best friend music lovers didn’t know they had. With her down-to-earth vibe, quick sense of humor, and laid-back style, it’s easy to fall in love with Sam and root for her success. Far from just any overnight TV series success, Sam has spent years honing her craft and is finally ready to make waves in the world of pop.
2019 was certainly a wild rollercoaster for the NY-bred/LA-based up-and-coming popstar – including a remarkable performance of her original song “Pill For This” on NBC’s Songland that instantly stole the judges Shane McAnally, Ester Dean, and Ryan Tedder‘s hearts. It was this moment of utter vulnerability that sparked her partnership with multi-Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer Shane McAnally [Kacey Musgraves, Kelly Clarkson, Sam Hunt] and her first major record deal with Monument Records [a joint venture with Sony Music].
Following its official release, “Pill For This” immediately landed on the Top 15 US iTunes Sales Chart and racked up over 4 million plays across streaming platforms. The single also saw additions to Spotify’s New Music Friday, Love Pop, Chilled Pop Hits, and Contemporary Blend, Apple Music’s New Music Daily and A-List Pop, as well as Amazon’s Introducing Pop and Brand New Music playlists. Today the rising artist reveals the first visual for “Pill For This.”
Sam DeRosa elaborated on the evolution of “Pill For This” before, during, and after Songland: “The writing didn’t change at all actually! But we did make the song into a ballad, which I never thought it would be but I was so pleasantly surprised. I couldn’t believe how many people resonated with my story and my song. Still can’t believe it to be honest. I’m really just so grateful for the way it all happened.” She continues: “The story around ‘Pill For This’ is about a feeling or a person that you can’t shake. Isn’t it crazy how we can medicate for almost anything: headaches, sinuses, broken bones, but never for a broken heart? That’s where this song came from. There are a lot of people who can’t process what they’re feeling, so my responsibility as an artist and songwriter is to speak my truth as best I can with the hopes that it will help someone else who’s hurting.” Lastly, she adds: “My idea behind this first visual for the song is to set the scene for the story. The whole video is supposed to be a metaphor. It’s a dramatized and magnified version of the journey into the mind of someone who’s experiencing heartbreak and loss. The idea is that you can try anything and everything, but it really is impossible to forget someone that you once loved, no matter how much it hurts. Even when it takes time, the ache will always live there.”
Growing up in New York, Sam DeRosa started writing her own songs at a young age, though didn’t often share her material. Sticking with popular cover songs, Sam would enter talent show after talent show, only to lose out to other contestants. Finally, when she was 15, she brought her keyboard onstage and sang an original song. The judges gave her a perfect score. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, Sam was invited to one of her first co-writing sessions in New York. Making the drive from Boston to New York City, she co-wrote a song called “Broken.” Two years later plus a move to Los Angeles, “Broken” became a smash hit for lovelytheband and the doors flew wide open for Sam. To date, Sam has been covered by the likes of American Songwriter, ATWOOD, Billboard, CelebMix, Earmilk, HollywoodLife, People Magazine, PopDust, and PopMatters to name a few and additionally appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show alongside Shane McAnally.