I’m a sucker for melodic hooks and breakbeats. Vitesse X, Clothesline From Hell, Sophia Stel, and now Leela Rosa. Rosa leans to the pop side of the spectrum, fusing 90s throwback R&B sounds with modern UK garage influences on her debut EP, Keep Applying Pressure!. I included “6feet Under” on a Friday Setlist when it was released, and it’s been on steady play here since. The EP sounds built for long, lazy afternoons on the patio or at the beach.
This’ll be a short post: there’s not much to know about Leela Rosa (aka Rosa Leenders) yet. She’s from Rotterdam1, and prior to this EP has had a few features on songs from other Dutch artists in recent years, slowly carving her path from guest vocalist to solo star.
The six tracks mostly share a midtempo, relaxed vibe, developed with co-producer Calunde. The tracks range from the of-the-moment pop sound on “Fraud”, to deeper, funkier, more hip-hop infused cuts like “Leave Me Alone”, which feels like an album cut from a loved-but-forgotten 90s R&B artist. All this needs is a Ja Rule feature:
It’s tough to find anything on Leela, but Keep Applying Pressure! is a solid addition to the warm-weather or summer road trip playlist.
- more #dutchindie!
